British nationals evacuated from Israel as Iran conflict continues

The RAF has evacuated 63 British nationals from Israel as Tel Aviv and Tehran continue to exchange fire, the Foreign Secretary has told MPs.

David Lammy told the Commons that an RAF A400 had taken the group of British nationals to Cyprus on Monday, from where they will be taken to the UK, adding that more flights will follow.

He also confirmed that one British national in Israel had been injured during Iranian missile attacks and had been offered consular support.

Downing Street said “around 1,000” people had requested a seat on an evacuation flight – a quarter of the 4,000 who had registered their presence in Israel or Palestine with the Foreign Office.

In his statement to the Commons, Lammy repeated his plea to Iran to return to the negotiating table following America’s strikes on its nuclear programme.

He said: “My message for Tehran was clear, take the off ramp, dial this thing down, and negotiate with the United States seriously and immediately.

“The alternative is an even more destructive and far-reaching conflict, which could have unpredictable consequences.”

He had previously urged Tehran to engage in negotiations, saying US President Donald Trump’s apparent decision last week to delay US military action offered a two-week window for a diplomatic solution.

On Monday, he said: “We can and we must find a negotiated solution. The window has narrowed, but the risks of further escalation are so great and the costs so considerable for Britain and all in the region, that this is the Government’s priority.”

Lammy’s statement came after an air raid by American B-2 stealth bombers and a salvo of submarine-launched missiles hit Iran’s nuclear facilities on Saturday night.

The Foreign Secretary told MPs it was not yet clear how far the attack had set back Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but said the need for a diplomatic solution remained.

He added: “Strikes cannot destroy the knowledge Iran has acquired over several decades, nor any regime ambition to deploy that knowledge to build a nuclear weapon.”

Lammy also told MPs that the Government has withdrawn staff from its embassy in Iran, telling the Commons it is operating “remotely”.

The Foreign Secretary also continued to face questions on the legality of the US strikes, but said it “must rightly be a matter for the US government in relation to their action” and added: “This was not our action. We have been clear that we were not involved.”

Earlier, Downing Street had said that preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear bomb was a “good thing” for the UK, but declined to comment on whether the US strikes complied with international law.

It came as Qatar shut its air space temporarily on Monday to ensure the safety of citizens, residents and visitors.

Dr Majed Al Ansari, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a post on X: “The competent Qatari authorities announce the temporary suspension of air traffic in the country’s airspace, in order to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors.”

The Foreign Office advised British nationals in Qatar to “shelter in place” after a US security alert.

The UAE has also closed its air space, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.

Meanwhile, Israeli jets hit targets in Tehran on Monday including the security headquarters of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and Evin Prison, the regime’s main site for detaining political prisoners and human rights activists.

In turn, Iran carried out its own strikes against cities in Israel, and sparked fears of a wider regional conflict as it accused the US of crossing “a very big red line”.

Meanwhile, oil prices reached their highest level for nearly six months over fears a regional conflict could restrict supply, especially if Iran decided to blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

The jump in prices prompted Trump to post on his Truth Social platform: “EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I’M WATCHING! YOU’RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON’T DO IT!”

Lammy told MPs the Government was “closely monitoring” the energy markets and urged Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, saying a blockade would be “a monumental act of economic self-harm” and make reaching a diplomatic solution even harder.