BRITAIN is sending more RAF jets to the Middle East as the war between Israel and Iran intensifies.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told reporters en route to Canada for the G7 summit that he was ramping up Britain’s military presence to provide “contingency support” for troops already in the region.

But he declined to rule out direct intervention in the escalating conflict — on Israel’s side, despite it having started the war with an unprovoked missile barrage on Tehran and other Iranian cities on Friday, allegedly to retard Iranian progress towards a possible nuclear bomb.

Israel’s surprise attack on Iran on Friday killed 78 people and wounded 320, Tehran’s UN ambassador said over the weekend. The dead included top military commanders, nuclear scientists and ordinary civilians.

Retaliatory barrages from Iran have so far killed 14 Israelis. Israel and Iran continued to launch ballistic missiles at each other through the weekend, with more explosions shaking Tehran as the Morning Star went to press. Some reports suggested an Iranian drone had struck Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in the seaside town of Caesarea. Children are among the dead in both countries.

Iran has warned that US, British and French military bases in the Middle East could be targeted if they assist Israel’s attacks on it. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also offered an off ramp, however, saying Iran would stop launching missiles at Israel if Israel committed to do the same.

But Israel says it is determined to destroy Iran’s nuclear programme, and nuclear experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Institute for Science and International Security said satellite imagery and radiation monitoring suggested there has not yet been any serious damage done to Iranian nuclear facilities.

Sir Keir, while stating that British efforts were focused on de-escalation, refused to rule out direct engagement. Iran says it has evidence that the United States played a role in Israel’s attack, something Washington denies: though US President Donald Trump has threatened Iran with “slaughter” if it does not entirely abandon its uranium enrichment programme, which Tehran says is for civilian use.

On the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said new deployments to the Middle East were to protect British bases, but also declined to rule out helping Israel, for example by helping shoot down Iranian missiles or drones.

Stop the War Coalition convener Lindsey German told the Morning Star the prospect of further support for an Israel currently bombing five countries (Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran) was sickening.

“There seems no end to Starmer’s support for the war criminal Netanyahu,” she said.

“Despite calls for ‘restraint’ sending more planes to the Middle East is only encouraging Israel’s war on the Palestinians and on Iran. If we want peace in the region, then stop arming Israel.

“If we want a nuclear free Middle East, as we should, then let’s start with Israel which has an estimated 200 nuclear weapons and refuses inspections. Starmer should condemn the attacks on Iran, not help the genocidal Netanyahu carry them out.”

Ms German was among the speakers at an emergency demonstration against war with Iran called at Downing Street on Saturday, which was also addressed by transport union TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust, who has family in Tehran, and by poet Michael Rosen.

“With each passing day, the British government is revealed to be a collaborator and direct participant in the war crimes of the Netanyhu regime from Gaza to Tehran,” Communist Party international secretary Kevan Nelson observed.

“Starmer’s warmongering posture has no mandate from the British people and makes a mockery of Chancellor Reeves’s empty talk about ‘de-escalation’.”

However, Conservative shadow chancellor Mel Stride said the Tories backed the despatch of more warplanes to the region and, while admitting an Israel-Iran war could have “very, very serious” consequences, suggested the opposition support Israel’s aggression, saying “it’s important that action is taken” against Iran’s nuclear energy programme when asked if Israel’s strikes had been “sensible.”

Israel’s ambassador to Britain Tzipi Hotovely, who has previously been criticised for inciting genocide against Palestinians, said “Europe owes a huge thank you to Israel” for attacking Iran, as if Iran developed a nuclear bomb the region would not be safe. Israel is itself a nuclear-armed state.

Mr Trump, who has expressed full support for Israel’s actions, said today it was “possible” the US might join Israel’s attacks on Iran, but also suggested he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the possibility of his acting as a mediator. Russia has friendly relations with both Iran and Israel. “He’s ready... we had a long talk about it,” Mr Trump said of Mr Putin.

Most countries have, however, condemned Israel for its sudden attack on Iran. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said Iran was being “subjected to blatant zionist aggression.” He said Iraq was committed to preventing any expansion of the war — but Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful Shi’ite militia in Iraq, said it was “closely monitoring” US troop movements in Iraq and “if America intervenes in the war, we will act without any hesitation against its interests and bases throughout the region.”

Yemen’s Houthis, who have periodically fired drones at Israel as well as Israel-linked shipping since Israel invaded Gaza 20 months ago, have already joined Iran in firing on Israel.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Israel’s attack on nuclear facilities set a “dangerous precedent,” while Cuba condemned Israel’s “reprehensible and irresponsible actions,” which it said were “only possible thanks to the military, financial, logistic and political support granted by the government of the United States, thus placing international and regional stability and security in greater danger, with unforeseeable consequences for humanity.”

Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn told the Morning Star that Sir Keir’s decision to send planes was “yet more dangerous escalation. 

”The central issue in the Middle East is the illegal occupation of Gaza and West Bank, which has led to appalling levels of human suffering. Stop the genocide!”