UK preparing to charter flights from Israel, Lammy says
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European national arrested in Iran for ‘spying on sensitive areas’ – report. The person is reported to have been arrested in the north west of the country.
An update to bring you from Iran, where the Tasnim news agency is reporting that a European national has been arrested.
The person is reported to have been arrested in the north west of the country for allegedly “spying on sensitive areas”.
Further details are not yet clear. We’ll keep monitoring you this and bring you any more updates.
UK preparing to charter flights from Israel, David Lammy says
UK preparing to charter flights from Israel, Lammy says. Number of flights will be based on demand, foreign secretary says. Israeli airspace is currently closed due to the ongoing conflict with Iran. The two nations have exchanged waves of air strikes since last week. Lammy arrived in Geneva for talks with Iran, in the hopes of negotiating an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme. The talks in Geneva with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will also include top diplomats from the EU, Germany and France. They are Iran’s first face-to-face discussions with Western counterparts since the conflict began.
The statement came as Lammy arrived in Geneva for talks with Iran, in the hopes of negotiating an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Israeli airspace is currently closed due to the ongoing conflict with Iran. The two nations have exchanged waves of air strikes since Israel targeted military and nuclear sites, as well as military commanders and nuclear scientists, a week ago.
David Lammy confirmed the government was working with the Israeli authorities to provide flights out of Tel Aviv airport, the number of which will be based on demand.
The UK is arranging charter flights to return British nationals from Israel once Israeli airspace re-opens, the foreign secretary has said.
British nationals who wish to return home from Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories have been advised to complete a form with their email and UK passport number.
Lammy said this was to “register their presence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to be contacted with further guidance on these flights”.
Flights will only be provided to those who hold a UK passport, the Foreign Office said.
Land routes out of Israel remain open and Lammy said UK staff will be on hand to support British nationals who have crossed the border – including providing transportation to nearby airports.
Earlier, the Foreign Office said families of staff at the UK embassy in Tel Aviv and the British consulate in Jerusalem had been temporarily withdrawn “as a precautionary measure”.
The talks in Geneva with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will also include top diplomats from the EU, Germany and France. They are Iran’s first face-to-face discussions with Western counterparts since the conflict began last week.
Ahead of the meeting, Lammy said “a window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution”.
The conflict began on 13 June, when Israel launched a series of attacks across Iran, stating that they were to prevent Iran producing a nuclear weapon. Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful.
Tehran retaliated by launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, and the two have traded strikes in the days following.
Several other countries have initiated complex evacuation operations.
Australia is repatriating around 1,500 nationals from Iran and 1,200 from Israel. Some Australians have already left Israel on a ship to Cyprus.
China has evacuated more than 1,600 citizens from Iran and several hundred from Israel, its foreign ministry says, advising nationals to leave via land routes.
India has said it plans to evacuate nationals in Israel who wish to leave, while Japan is sending two military aircraft to Djibouti in preparation for the evacuation of its citizens from both Iran and Israel.
Meanwhile, around 3,000 Pakistanis have left Iran since hostiles began.
UK readies charter flights out of Tel Aviv as Middle East crisis spirals
Downing Street urges UK citizens in the region to register their presence with the Foreign Office as authorities scramble to provide journeys out of Tel Aviv. Number 10 said on Friday morning the situation remains “fast-moving” and it will continue to be monitored closely. David Lammy arrived in Geneva for talks with the Iranian minister. Sir Keir Starmer continues to press for de-escalation in the conflict after returning from the G7 summit in Canada. Israeli air strikes reached into the city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early on Friday, Iranian media reported. Since the conflict erupted last week, at least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group called Human Rights Activists. At least 24 people in Israel have also been killed and hundreds more injured. It is unclear whether the UK would join any military action, although there has been speculation US intervention could require using the British-controlled base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands.
Downing Street urged UK citizens in the region to register their presence with the Foreign Office as authorities scramble to provide journeys out of Tel Aviv.
Number 10 said on Friday morning the situation remains “fast-moving” and it will continue to be monitored closely.
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A spokesman added: “We are advising British nationals to continue to register their presence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, to be contactable with further guidance on these flights.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said work is under way to provide the flights “based on levels of demand” from UK citizens who want to leave the region.
“The UK will provide charter flights for British nationals from Tel Aviv when airspace reopens,” he said.
The situation in the Middle East remains perilous. We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. Meeting with @SecRubio and @SteveWitkoff in the White House today, we discussed how a deal could avoid a deepening conflict. A window now exists within the next two… pic.twitter.com/UKAOsnDAm8 — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) June 19, 2025
“The safety of British nationals remains our top priority.”
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Government advice for British nationals in the country remains to follow local guidance, as well as to let officials know about their presence within Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Land routes out of Israel remain open and British staff are on hand to support UK nationals who have crossed the border, he added.
The move follows criticism of the Foreign Office’s initial response, which saw family members of embassy staff evacuated while UK citizens were not advised to leave and told to follow local guidance.
The Government said the move to temporarily withdraw family members had been a “precautionary measure”.
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Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer continues to press for de-escalation in the region after returning from the G7 summit in Canada, where he and other leaders reiterated their commitment to “peace and stability”.
The Prime Minister has also urged Donald Trump to step back from military action against Iran after a series of sabre-rattling posts from the US president on his Truth Social platform.
Sir Keir said there is a “real risk of escalation” in the conflict, adding that there had previously been “several rounds of discussions” with Washington and “that, to me, is the way to resolve this issue”.
Israeli air strikes reached into the city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early on Friday, Iranian media reported.
David Lammy is in Geneva for talks aimed at de-escalating the conflict (PA)
Since the conflict erupted last week, at least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group called Human Rights Activists.
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Meanwhile, at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds more have been injured.
According to the Israeli government, some 22,000 tourists are seeking to board evacuation flights. It is unclear how many of these may be UK citizens.
It remains unclear whether the UK would join any military action, although there has been speculation US intervention could require using the British-controlled base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands.
B-2 stealth bombers based there are capable of carrying specialised “bunker buster” bombs, which could be used against Iran’s underground nuclear facility at Fordo.
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Attorney General Lord Hermer is reported to have raised legal concerns about any British involvement in the conflict beyond defending its allies, which could limit the extent of any support for the US if Mr Trump decides to act militarily.
Earlier, Mr Lammy arrived in Geneva for talks with the Iranian foreign minister and European allies as the UK presses for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
He is meeting Abbas Araghchi on Friday alongside counterparts from France, Germany and the EU as he seeks to negotiate a settlement before Mr Trump decides whether to take military action against Tehran.
In a statement read by his press secretary on Thursday, the US president said there is still “a substantial chance of negotiations” and he will make a decision on deploying US forces “within the next two weeks”.
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Mr Trump had previously said he “may” join Israeli strikes against Iran and its nuclear programme, but added: “I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do.”
Friday’s meeting with the so-called E3 countries follows Mr Lammy’s visit to Washington, where he met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the White House on Thursday evening to discuss “how a deal could avoid a deepening conflict”.
UK preparing charter flights out of Israel for British nationals
Foreign Secretary David Lammy says flights will be available from Tel Aviv. British nationals in the Middle East are urged to register with the Foreign Office. A special flight from Egypt is also being planned to take British nationals out of the region. Iran says it will not negotiate over its nuclear programme until Israel withdraws from the Mideast. Israel says it has killed at least two dozen people in the past week in attacks on Iranian targets in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip. The Iranian government says the strikes are in response to Israeli strikes on its nuclear sites.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said the government is working to make the flights available to leave Israel from Tel Aviv once airspace reopens.
Mr Lammy said that “flights will be available based on the level of demand”.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer and the government have advised Britons in the country to register their presence with the foreign office.
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:09 What is the UK going to do about Israel and Iran?
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A Downing Street spokesman said on Friday morning that it was closely monitoring the “fast-moving” situation.
They added: “We are advising British nationals to continue to register their presence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, to be contactable with further guidance on these flights.”
Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani added that ground convoys were being organised to bring Italians out of Iran, and a special charter flight was scheduled for Sunday to depart from Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt to bring out any Italians from Israel.
It comes as Mr Lammy, along with his French and German counterparts and the EU’s foreign policy chief, attend a meeting with Iranian minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva.
Ahead of the talks, Mr Araghchi said there would be no negotiations on resuming talks on a nuclear deal with the US “until Israeli aggression stops”.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:08 What to expect from talks in Geneva
Israel began strikes against Iran last Friday, claiming Tehran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, and has struck nuclear sites, military bases and civilian areas.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes. It has retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel.
Read more:
Peaceful end to Iran’s nuclear plans unlikely – here’s why
Trump says he ‘may or may not’ strike Iran
Kremlin: Regime change in Iran is ‘unacceptable’
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Since conflict broke out last week, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, US-based human rights organisation that tracks Iran, said Israeli air attacks have killed more than 600 people in Iran – including military chiefs and nuclear scientists.
At least two dozen Israeli citizens have been killed by Iranian attacks, Israel has said.
Israeli military kills 23 Palestinians near aid site in Gaza, witnesses and medics say
Israeli military kills 23 Palestinians near aid site in Gaza, witnesses and medics say. The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 400 Palestinians have been killed in similar incidents since late May. The Israeli military said “suspects” had attempted to approach forces in the area of the incident, and that soldiers had fired warning shots. The UN children’s agency Unicef said the Israel- and US-backed food distribution system run by GHF was “making a desperate humanitarian situation worse” Just 40% of rinking water production facilities were still functioning, according to the UN. The move followed a complete three-month Israeli blockade during which no food entered the territory, putting the entire population at critical risk of famine according to a UN-backed assessment. At least 55,706 people, including more than 15,000 children, have been taken hostage by the Israeli military since October 2023, including 251 people killed in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack on the southern Israeli city of Shati.
Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in shooting incidents near aid sites
The GHF has denied a shooting occurred near its sites. The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 400 Palestinians have been killed in similar incidents since late May.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops fired warning shots after people gathered nearby. An Israeli aircraft then struck “several suspects” who the IDF said continued walking towards troops.
Tanks and drones fired at thousands of people near a distribution centre in central Gaza run by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the witnesses and medics said.
Israeli forces have killed 23 Palestinians after opening fire on crowds gathered near an aid distribution site, witnesses and medics say.
That is when the GHF took over most aid distribution in Gaza in an attempt by Israel to bypass the UN as the main supplier of aid.
The move followed a complete three-month Israeli blockade during which no food entered the territory, putting the entire population at critical risk of famine according to a UN-backed assessment.
In almost all incidents, witnesses have said that Israeli troops opened fire, although there have also been reports of local armed gunmen shooting at people.
A spokesperson for al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat confirmed they received 23 bodies and more than 100 wounded. Images from the hospital showed bodies on the floor.
The IDF said the incident was under review.
The UN children’s agency Unicef said the Israel- and US-backed food distribution system run by GHF was “making a desperate humanitarian situation worse”.
Unicef spokesperson James Elder said a lack of public clarity on when the sites, some of which are in combat zones, were open was leading to mass casualty events.
“There have been instances where information (was) shared that a site is open, but then it’s communicated on social media that they’re closed, but that information was shared when Gaza’s internet was down and people had no access to it,” he told reporters in Geneva.
He said many women and children had been wounded while trying to receive food aid, including a young boy who was wounded by a tank shell and later died.
On Thursday, at least 12 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces while waiting for aid, according to rescuers and medics. The GHF denied there were any incidents near its site. The Israeli military told Reuters that “suspects” had attempted to approach forces in the area of Netzarim, and that soldiers had fired warning shots.
On Tuesday witnesses said more than 50 people were killed when Israeli forces opened fire and shelled an area near a junction to the east of Khan Younis, where thousands of Palestinians had been gathering in the hope of getting flour from a World Food Programme (WFP) site, which also includes a community kitchen nearby. The Israeli military said “a gathering” had been identified “in proximity to IDF troops operating in the area” and the incident was under review.
Unicef also warned that Gaza was facing a man-made drought as its water systems were collapsing. Just 40% of rinking water production facilities were still functioning, Mr Elder said.
“Children will begin to die of thirst,” he said, adding: “We are way below emergency standards in terms of drinking water for people in Gaza.”
In a separate Israeli attack on Friday, a medic with the Palestinian Red Crescent told the BBC that 11 Palestinians were killed and others injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting a home in the al-Ma’sar area west of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.
Eyewitnesses said Israeli warplanes struck a two-storey house belonging to the Ayash family.
Hamas-run civil defence officials say Israel has carried out a wave of deadly air strikes on Gaza in recent days, following a brief lull in air operations that coincided with the escalation between Israel and Iran.
They reported on Thursday that at least 77 Palestinians had been killed in such strikes, which heavily targeted the Shati area in western Gaza City.
Local sources speculated that the renewed strikes may be linked to the targeting of Hamas security elements who have recently re-emerged across parts of Gaza, attempting to reassert control amid a breakdown in law and order. These movements appear to have been timed with the temporary easing of Israeli aerial surveillance due to the simultaneous military focus on Iran.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 55,706 people have been killed in Gaza since then, including more than 15,000 children, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.