Keir Starmer to hold emergency Cobra meeting this afternoon

It's the third he has called in recent weeks

It comes after the US dropped bombs on three Iranian nuclear sites in the early hours of this morning (BST).

The previous Cobra meeting held by the UK government was to discuss the possibility of the US entering the war.

Now the meeting will be discussing next steps after the US pulled the trigger on direct involvement.

Earlier today, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued his own statement in response to the US bombing in Iran as he backed Donald Trump.

He said: “Iran’s nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security. Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat.

“The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority. We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis”.

While the UK were not involved in the attack, the British government were aware of Trump’s plans and intentions.

Cobra (Cabinet Office Briefing Room A) meetings are called in emergency scenarios including civil unrest and international conflicts.

On 13 June, Israel launched "pre-emptive" strikes on Iran after claiming the latter were close to possessing nuclear weapons.

Iran promptly launched a counter offensive leading to a continued exchange of missiles between the warring sides.

Israeli Ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely told LBC on last week that the UK is "not going to be involved" in the conflict between Israel and Iran.

She said in the past the UK "were great partners of the defence coalition", but added that Britain will be kept out of the conflict.

However, it is to be seen if this stance has since changed.