"Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat," Starmer said on X, adding that "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."

The UK, a key ally of the United States, confirmed it had not been involved in the overnight strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites.

"We, on this occasion, have not deployed British military force in this mission," Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told Sky News, speaking on behalf of the government.

"This was not a situation where that request (for support) was made and the US has used other means to carry out this mission," Reynolds added.

But Reynolds confirmed that the government had been "informed" in advance of the attack.

Britain moved extra fighter jets and other military assets to the Middle East as "contingency support" last week, as the conflict between Iran and Israel escalated.

The UK will "take all actions necessary to defend our own interest... and of course, that of key allies if they are under threat," Reynolds said.

Britain has sought to de-escalate the situation while still opposing Iran's nuclear programme since Israel launched strikes on Iran over a week ago.

Israel claimed that Tehran was close to developing a nuclear weapon, which Iran has always denied.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and top European diplomats met with their Iranian counterpart in Geneva on Friday to seek a halt in fighting.

aks/bc

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