Foreign Secretary David Lammy will meet U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio as President Donald Trump continues to consider joining Israeli strikes against Iran.
Lammy and U.S. Secretary of State Rubio will discuss the situation in the Middle East on Thursday evening.
Iran and Israel continued striking each other’s territory overnight as the crisis deepened.
A hospital in southern Israel was hit by a missile, while a heavy water facility in Iran was targeted in the latest blow against Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Lammy’s meeting in Washington comes amid speculation U.S. involvement could require the use of the UK-controlled Diego Garcia base in the Chagos Islands.
The B-2 stealth bombers based there are capable of carrying specialised “bunker buster” bombs which could be used against Iran’s underground nuclear facility at Fordo.
But UK Attorney General Lord Hermer is reported to have raised legal concerns about any potential British involvement in the conflict beyond defending its allies, something which could limit the extent of any support for the United States if Trump decides to act militarily.
Energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh told Times Radio: “Legal advice is for the prime minister, and I think that’s where it will stay and you can understand why I won’t comment on that.
“But what I will say is that we have a prime minister who is a lawyer and a human rights lawyer, he will obviously do everything that is in accord with international law.”
She said Sir Keir Starmer was acting as a “cool, calm head, to urge all partners around the negotiating table and to find a diplomatic route out of this.”
But shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said, “I don’t think we can hide behind legal advice at a time of crisis and national security when we have to work alongside our biggest ally in the world, the United States, when they look to us for potentially … setting out operational activities through our own military bases.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the government should publish Hermer’s advice, adding, “The last thing we need is for the UK to be dragged into another illegal war in the Middle East by the U.S.”
Patel said the Conservative Party would support British involvement in military action against Iran if it was deemed necessary.
Iran has insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful, but it is the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60 percent, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent and far in excess of the levels required for power stations.
Patel told “Good Morning Britain”: “While we want peace in the region, we’re crystal clear that Iran should not be able to obtain nuclear weapons.
“And if the government judges that such action is necessary to avoid that then we would absolutely support the government if it deemed it necessary to ensure that we can defend our country, our citizens, and effectively a lot of our strategic equities in the Middle East region.”
She also told the programme that the government needs to “step up” support for Britons stranded in Israel after the airspace was closed.
“I think the current government’s response is not sufficient and if families of embassy staff and personnel are being evacuated then I think the same facilities must be extended to our citizens,” she said.
The Foreign Office has evacuated family members of embassy staff from Israel based on a specific assessment of the risks they face, but has not advised British nationals.
Britons have already been advised against all travel to Israel and those already in the country have been urged to register their presence with the embassy.
The UK government has pointed out that land borders with Jordan and Egypt remain open, and consular teams are in position to provide assistance to British nationals who choose to leave Israel by land.
Middle East minister Hamish Falconer said: “Our first job is to keep British nationals safe, and our dedicated teams in the region are working around the clock to do this.
“We are asking all British nationals in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to register their presence so that we can share our updates with them and make sure we’re giving them the best advice possible.”
