SIR KEIR STARMER suggested today that the Iran war will not have “a quick and early end,” insisting that “every lever available” for dealing with the cost of living would be discussed at an emergency Cobra committee last night.

The Prime Minister told MPs on the Commons liaison committee that Britain must be prepared for the conflict to continue “for some time,” adding: “On energy supplies, I can reassure the committee that we haven’t any meaningful concern about energy supplies. 

“Obviously, the price fluctuates daily.”

His comments came just hours after US President Donald Trump said he would “postpone” threatened strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure after “very good and productive” talks with Tehran.

Sir Keir told MPs that Britain had been “aware” of the talks, which follow Mr Trump’s threats to obliterate Iranian power plants if Tehran did not open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping by 11.45pm today.

He told reporters that his advisers had had talks with “a top person” in the Iranian regime and that more conversations were due to take place “at some point very soon.”

Downing Street, meanwhile, played down suggestions that Chancellor Rachel Reeves would announce financial support for struggling households tomorrow, following the Cobra meeting with key ministers as well as Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey.

The US-Israel’s war on Iran could cause an even greater oil price shock than followed the Yom Kippur war in 1973 or Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, experts have warned.

Iran has attacked military and infrastructure targets in the Middle East and effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil and gas shipping route.

The Stop the War Coalition said that the pause in the bombardment had come too late, both for the “thousands of people who have been killed and maimed in this illegal and unprovoked war [and] to avert disastrous economic consequences around the world.

“Our demand now is for a permanent halt to the attacks and an immediate end to Israel’s assault on Iran, its invasion of Lebanon and its continuing genocide against the Palestinian people.

“We also demand that Britain plays no further part in these interventions and breaks firmly and finally with Trump’s foreign policy.”

Members of the public are urged to join the Together for Palestine, Stop Bombing Iran” feeder march joining Saturday’s Together demonstration against the far right in central London.