All news on the topic: Middle East

693
UK troops shoot down drones targeting allied base amid Iran conflict escalation
British troops shot down over a dozen Iranian “suicide” drones over an allied base in northern Iraq last night.
551
Israel’s nuclear status seen as barrier to Middle East weapons-free zone
Israel’s nuclear arms program was considered the major obstacle to establishing a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East, declassified files from 1993 reveal.
544
Rachel Reeves vows crackdown on firms cashing in on Iran war as fuel prices surge
A crackdown on companies profiteering from the Iran war at the expense of millions of Brits is among cost-of-living plans announced by Rachel Reeves today.
621
From £6.5m Dubai mansion to refuge in Algarve as conflict escalates
Rio and Kate Ferdinand have fled Dubai for sunny Portugal as the Middle East war rages on, it is believed.
446
UK warship HMS Dragon deployed to Cyprus after delay following Iranian drone strike
British warship HMS Dragon has reached the eastern Mediterranean and is set to commence its operations to support Cyprus tonight, confirmed the Defence Secretary.
678
China’s battery giants surge $70bn as war in Iran sparks clean energy boom
China’s leading battery manufacturers have added more than $70bn in market value since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, underlining investors’ belief that the conflict will accelerate long‑term demand for clean energy.
693
Crisis for UK defences as just one warship can counter missile strike threat
Britain has been branded a "laughing stock" as it was revealed the UK has just one operational destroyer capable of intercepting Iranian missiles.
592
UK schools in Qatar face calls to withdraw over controversial textbooks
British private schools are earning millions of pounds by using Qatari textbooks at their Middle East campuses, which misrepresent the Holocaust, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.
788
Iran fires ballistic missiles at joint UK-US military base in Diego Garcia as MoD condemns ’reckless attacks’
Iran has launched two ballistic missiles targeting the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, shortly after the UK allowed America access to its bases for "collective self-defense".
729
Trump pressures UK over slow approval of air base use for Middle East operations
Donald Trump said he was "surprised" that it took so long for Keir Starmer to agree to let him use British air bases to strike targets to open up the Strait of Hormuz.
772
Middle East conflict sends shockwaves through Europe’s fragile energy system
The knock-on effects of the conflict now whipping through the Middle East are awakening ghosts of crises past that shook the European Union.
652
Israel says it killed Iran security chief Ali Larijani and Basij commander in airstrike
A top militia commander who oversaw mass arrests and a brutal crackdown on mass protests across Iran has been killed in an airstrike alongside Iran’s top security chief, Israel has claimed.
659
Trump ‘surprised’ as Starmer refuses to immediately send UK warships to Hormuz
Donald Trump has once again criticized Keir Starmer, stating that the UK should be "enthusiastically" helping to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
567
Starmer weighs sending mine-hunting drones as Iran tightens grip on Strait of Hormuz
Sir Keir Starmer is considering sending minehunting drones to unblock Iran’s stranglehold over a key oil shipping route, as Donald Trump called for allied warships to protect tankers in the region.
553
British man detained in Dubai over video of Iranian missile strike
A British man has been charged under cyber-crime laws in Dubai after he allegedly filmed Iranian missiles over the city.
706
Oil tanker engulfed in flames after Gulf strike as crude surges past $100
Iran has warned that oil could reach $200 a barrel as its attacks on ships intensify in the Middle East.
519
War through Britain: US fighter jets and bombers pass through UK bases
Keir Starmer’s complicity in the illegal US-Israeli war started in January when British and American assets began moving to the Middle East.
533
Britain sends warship to eastern Mediterranean amid Iran conflict fears
Britain is preparing to send an evacuation ship to the Middle East if the war expands.
706
Oil surges past $100 amid Middle East tensions and tanker disruption
The price of a barrel of oil exceeded $100 for the first time since 2022, as the conflict in the Middle East continues.
758
‘We don’t need you’: UK and US leaders speak as tensions grow over Iran conflict
Donald Trump and Sir Keir Starmer had a phone call hours after the US president’s latest criticism of the prime minister’s response to the Iran war.
642
Britain’s gas reserves fall to under two days amid Middle East crisis
Great Britain has only two days of fossil gas stored after a decline in energy reserves, as more tankers carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) are diverted from their course to Europe towards Asia because of the Iran war.
674
Davey says King’s state visit to US should be called off after Iran strikes
Sir Ed Davey has led calls for the Prime Minister to cancel the King’s state visit to the US following the US-Israeli war on Iran.
648
First UK evacuation flight lands as Iran war enters its seventh day
The Government’s first charter flight to evacuate British nationals from the Middle East has touched down in the UK - as the Iran war enters its seventh day.
540
London sends Typhoon fighter jets and begins evacuation of more than 140,000 Britons amid the conflict in Iran
Sir Keir stated that the conflict in Iran "could continue for some time," and added that the UK is doing everything possible to protect British lives and uphold British values.
812
UK launches emergency evacuation flight from Oman as Middle East conflict escalates
A commercial flight chartered by the UK Government will depart Muscat at 7pm on Wednesday for British nationals wishing to leave Oman following attacks in the region, the Foreign Office announced.