1 hour ago Now more than ever, the prime minister must refrain from following Donald Trump’s lead

Editorial: With the stakes so high now in the tinderbox of the Middle East, Keir Starmer must show the caution that has served him so well on the world stage

Politics

2 h. ago Iran says US ‘must receive a response’ after Trump’s strikes on nuclear sites

Pentagon claims major damage inflicted, world leaders call for restraint and Israel continues to strike Iranian targetsMiddle East crisis – latest updatesIran has warned the US to brace for retaliation after Donald Trump’s administration joined Israel in its war against Tehran, tearing up his isolationist foreign policy and launching the most consequential intervention in a conflict in a generation.Almost a day after US strikes targeting three key Iranian nuclear sites, Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, told France’s Emmanuel Macron: “The Americans must receive a response to their aggression,” signalling a potential Iranian reprisal that could drag the US into a new, protracted conflict in the Middle East. Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago Suicide bomber kills at least 13 in packed Syrian church near Damascus

State media says a suicide bomber in Syria has detonated himself inside a church filled with people

Events

3 h. ago Alarm in Middle East over US strikes on Iran amid fears of widening conflict

Leaders of UAE, Qatar and Oman criticise attack and urge de-escalation as EU and UN call for immediate diplomacyMiddle East crisis – latest updatesCountries in the Middle East and beyond responded with alarm after US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as the EU and the UN called for immediate diplomacy, with fears mounting that the war could trigger a wider escalation that could spiral out of control.Gulf states, which historically have been regional rivals with nearby Iran and critical of its nuclear ambitions, expressed serious concern at the US strikes, amid the risk of retaliation against US military bases hosted in their countries. Continue reading...

Events

4 h. ago Brits issued urgent petrol price warning as Iran closes Strait of Hormuz

Petrol prices could increase after further instability in the Middle East, with a recent strike on Iran from Israel meaning the Strait of Hormuz - a key oil shipping channel - could be disrupted

Events

5 h. ago Trump administration denies wanting war with Iran or regime change after nuclear site bombing raid

With the world reeling after Trump’s attack on Iran, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth insisted that the operation was only about ending Tehran’s ambitions for nuclear weapons

Events

5 h. ago Hegseth’s call for ‘peace’ shows Trump thinks he can have it both ways despite his punishing Iran ‘Hammer’ strike

How US could now be headed for another Iraq War-style 'break it, you bought it' involvement in Middle East, writes John Bowden

Politics

5 h. ago Flight tracker shows airlines avoiding Middle East airspace after US bombs Iran

A flight tracker shows airlines avoiding Middle East airspace after the US launched an attack on three nuclear sites in Iran.

Events

5 h. ago US attacks on Iran inflicted major destruction, Pentagon officials say

Defence secretary denies US is pursuing policy of regime change after strikes on Iranian nuclear sitesMiddle East crisis – latest updatesThe surprise overnight US attack on Iran inflicted major damage and destruction on three of its key nuclear sites, senior Pentagon officials said, as the US defence secretary denied that the Trump administration was pursuing a policy of regime change in the Middle East.In a press conference in Washington, Gen Dan Caine, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, detailed Operation Midnight Hammer, in which seven B-2 Spirit bombers flew 18 hours from the US to sites in Iran to drop 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators in strikes that were said to have caused “extremely severe damage” to Iranian uranium enrichment facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago How effective was the US attack on Iran’s nuclear sites? A visual guide

Trump claims the assault ‘totally obliterated’ the key facilities, but what do we know about its impact?Middle East crisis – latest updatesDonald Trump was quick to claim that US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities had “completely and totally obliterated” them. Still, it remains unclear how much physical damage has been done or what the longer-term impact might be on Iran’s nuclear programme. Continue reading...

Events

7 h. ago WWE fans call for Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia to be axed due to Iran threats and WW3 fears

Fans are showing concern for some of the world's biggest WWE fighters as they plan to head to the Middle East amid rising tensions between Iran and Isreal - especially given the United States' involvement

Sport

8 h. ago Keir Starmer warns of 'risk of escalation' after Donald Trump launches US strikes on Iran

He added that Iran having a nuclear weapon was the 'greatest threat to stability' in the Middle East

Events

8 h. ago Global alarm at US strikes on Iran amid fears conflict could spiral out of control

Politicians express ‘grave concern’ and urge all parties to de-escalate and return to talks on Iran’s nuclear programmeMiddle East crisis – latest updatesNations in the Middle East and beyond responded with alarm after US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday night as the EU and the UN called for immediate diplomacy, amid mounting fears that the war could trigger a wider escalation that could spiral out of control.Qatar, which hosts the biggest US military base in the Middle East, said on Sunday that it feared there could be serious repercussions regionally and internationally. Continue reading...

Events

9 h. ago No matter what Trump says, the US has gone to war – and there will be profound and lasting consequences | Simon Tisdall

Trump has fallen slap bang into the trap laid for him by Netanyahu. His reckless gamble makes a nuclear weapon for Iran more, not less, likelyBombing will not make Iran go away. US bombs will not destroy the knowhow needed to build a nuclear weapon or the will do so, if that is what Tehran wants. The huge attack ordered by Donald Trump will not halt ongoing open warfare between Israel and Iran. It will not bring lasting peace to the Middle East, end the slaughter in Gaza, deliver justice to the Palestinians, or end more than half a century of bitter enmity between Tehran and Washington.More likely, Trump’s rash, reckless gamble will inflame and exacerbate all these problems. Depending on how Iran and its allies and supporters react, the region could plunge into an uncontrolled conflagration. US bases in the Persian Gulf and elsewhere in the region, home to about 40,000 American troops, must now be considered potential targets for retaliation – and possibly British and allied forces,...

Politics

10 h. ago How the world reacted to America’s strikes on Iran: ‘Catastrophic consequences’

From Iraq to New Zealand, here’s how countries reacted

Events

10 h. ago Every time Starmer wants us to think the best of Trump, the US president proves him wrong

When Trump left the G7 Starmer told journalists that the US president wanted to de-escalate the Middle East crisis. Five days later Trump bombs Iran. The Independent’s David Maddox looks at why the prime minister keeps getting Trump wrong

Politics

10 h. ago Keir Starmer to chair emergency COBRA meeting after US strikes Iran

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there is a 'risk of escalation' both in the Middle East and 'beyond the region' - as he called for a return to diplomacy

Events

11 h. ago Where are the US military bases in the Middle East as Iran threatens retaliation?

The US has dozens of military outposts and air bases across the region

Events

11 h. ago Starmer calls for ‘diplomatic solution’ after US strikes Iran

Sir Keir Starmer’s Government had urged de-escalation in the Middle East but Donald Trump pushed ahead with air and missile strikes.

Politics

12 h. ago Iran accused of abducting journalist’s family over Israel war coverage

The London-based Farsi news channel issued a strong condemnation of the incident

Politics