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Thank you for joining us for live coverage of today's events in British politics.

It was yet another busy day, with deputy PMQs, HS2 being delayed yet again, a COBRA meeting on the Israel-Iran conflict, and questions over whether the US could drag the UK into it.

Use the key points above for the main moments today, or scroll down for full coverage.

And if you missed tonight's edition of Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge - fear not, for you can watch it in full below.

We'll be back from 6am with the very latest.

Sir Keir Starmer has had a phone call this evening with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the pair discussed the Israel-Iran conflict and "both echoed the need for de-escalation and diplomacy".

The spokesperson continued: "Underscoring the deep defence and security relationship between the two countries, the prime minister reiterated the UK's support for Qatar and leaders discussed how both countries could further support regional stability."

On Gaza, Starmer "reiterated the intolerable situation on the ground and underlined the UK's support for an immediate ceasefire".

There has been some confusion today over whether the UK government thinks it is safe for British nationals to remain in Israel amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.

The consternation arose when the government announced that the families and dependents of British diplomats and officials had been evacuated from Israel via land routes - but other Britons are not being advised to leave.

It is now understood that the Foreign Office undertook a specific assessment, and made the decision to evacuate based on risks to the families and dependents of embassy staff.

UK diplomats remain in the UK's embassy in Tel Aviv and in the consulate in Jerusalem to provide assistance to British nationals, if needed.

Britons can choose to leave Israel via the land borders with Jordan or Egypt, where UK staff are also present to help.

In a statement, Middle East minister Hamish Falconer, said: "Our first job is to keep British nationals safe, and our dedicated teams in the region are working around the clock to do this.

"We are asking all British nationals in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to register their presence so that we can share our updates with them and make sure we're giving them the best advice possible.

"We will continue to call for de-escalation, which is vital for both for regional stability and global security."

Sir William Patey, the former head of the Foreign Office's Middle East department, is asked next by Sophy Ridge what his advice would be for Sir Keir Starmer.

He replies that the PM faces a "difficult dilemma".

"If he's asked for the use of Diego Garcia [the base in the Chagos Islands], it would be very difficult to refuse, and I don't think he would," he says.

Patey explains that we are trying to keep the US fully engaged in NATO and the global security architecture, and denying the use of that base "could be fatal to the relationship".

But he adds: "I don't think there'll enthusiasm for getting involved in any strikes, even in defending Israel from counterstrikes from Iran - a, because we're not needed, and b, why would we?"

Should Iran decide that the Americans using Diego Garcia amounts to the UK participating, and decides to respond against UK facilities in the region, the government would "have no choice" but to get involved.

The next guest on tonight's edition of Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge is Sir William Patey, the former head of the Foreign Office's Middle East department.

He tells Sophy that "nobody knows" what Donald Trump is going to do when it comes to Iran, but "the word out of Washington appears he's leaning towards some sort of strike".

The Iranians were "never" going to accede to Trump's demand of "unconditional surrender", he says.

Patey goes on to say that "Israel has not wanted a negotiated end to Iran's nuclear ambitions", pointing out that Netanyahu was always opposed to former US president Obama's Iran deal.

"We're all in now, and I don't think there's any chance of the Iranians coming back to the negotiating table at this stage."

Iran is "severely weakened" at the moment as Hezbollah has been decimated, as has the Revolutionary Guard Corps, along with the destruction of their domestic defences.

He explains: "If they escalated by, say, attacking American bases in Qatar or in Bahrain, or closing the Strait of Hormuz, they could expect much more severe American strikes, and they would have to calculate that.

"So if the Americans were to join in, what happened next would be entirely down to us."

We've reported that the US could launch - with the UK's permission - strikes on Iran from the Diego Garcia military base in the Chagos Islands, and Sky' Sophy Ridge asks the shadow foreign secretary if the government should allow that.

Dame Priti Patel replies: "It is clear that the government will have to step up. That becomes operational. I don't want to speculate about that. That is operational.

"But clearly, both governments would have to work through that in terms of what it means operationally. And as I've said also, what it means for protecting British interests in the region too."

Asked if regime change in Iran would make the world a safer place, Patel says we should "reflect on Iran as it is today", saying it's "an Iran that fuels proxies that effectively, whether it's Hamas, Hezbollah, or the Houthis, but also an Iran that actually supplies weapons to Russia to use in Ukraine".

"That is the Iran of today that we are speaking about, and that is in nobody's interest."

She "recognises" that the history of regime change in the Middle East is not exactly a record of success, but she argues that Israel's attack on Iran is "our safety and security [...] just as much as Israel's". 

Asked finally if the government should give parliament a vote on any military action in the Middle East, Patel replies the government "needs to do absolutely everything within its powers, based on intelligence, to keep Britain safe and also to keep British nationals safe".

Sky's Sophy Ridge asks the shadow foreign secretary if the UK should provide military support to a potential US intervention in Iran.

But Dame Priti Patel replies that the government "will not, and rightly so, give any commentary on this".

She goes on: "What I'm interested in is what the government will do in terms of keeping Britain safe, British nationals, both here at home, but also in the region, because we have thousands upon thousands, tens upon thousands of Brits in the Middle East region."

She adds that she "can't speculate on what type of involvement Britain would have", but "planning" is key.

Patel notes that "we've not heard much from the government" about repatriating British nationals stuck in Israel, and getting them back "has to be the priority".

The first guest on tonight's edition of Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge is the shadow foreign secretary, Dame Priti Patel, and she tells us that she "absolutely" thinks Donald Trump is serious about a potential strike on Iran.

She says: "We know that [Iran's] capabilities are a threat, obviously, to the Middle East, stability in the Middle-East. But also to Europe and to us. And I think we have to look at this in an incredibly serious way."

Patel notes that the US got Iran to the table for talks, which broke down amid this conflict - but points out that as they were ongoing, Iran was found to be "continuing to increase their level of enrichment of uranium", showing there was "no good faith around actually cutting that back".

"So I think we have to be very mindful that this was always a precarious situation, because Iran has stated again and again and again - their objective was to wipe Israel out, the only Jewish state. And clearly, that is not acceptable."

She added that we should "not rule out the possibility whatsoever" of a US strike on Iran after the failure to reduce uranium enrichment.

By Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor

The US may ask the UK to station American refuelling aircraft at a British base in Cyprus as Donald Trump weighs up whether to join Israel's war against Iran.

American B-52 bombers and jets are already deployed to Diego Garcia, a British base in the Indian Ocean, as part of a massive expansion of US firepower in the region.

However, it is not thought that conversations have taken place yet about pre-positioning B-2 stealth bombers at Diego Garcia. These US warplanes are armed with bunker busting bombs big enough to reach Iran's Fordow nuclear site, built deep into a mountain.

Under long-standing rules, the UK must grant permission to the US to use Diego Garcia for military operations.

The White House will need Britain's green light to be able to launch bombing raids against Iran from the site.

It is not clear whether that request has been made or what the answer would be.

Sources indicated that they did not believe President Trump had made a decision about whether to strike Iran, but they are preparing for all eventualities.

What is the current deployment?

British troops based in small numbers across the region, including Iraq, Bahrain and the RAF base at Akrotiri in Cyprus, are on alert in case the fighting spreads.

Any move by President Trump to bomb Iran could prompt the Iranian military to strike American, British and other allied targets across the Middle East.

Bolstering its defences, the British government has sent additional Typhoon jets to Akrotiri 鈥� taking the number to 14 along with two tanker aircraft, it is understood.

More British warplanes may also be deployed.

The US military has already sent tanker aircraft 鈥� which are used to refuel fighter jets mid-flight 鈥� to Spain and Greece and may also request to use the Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri in Cyprus.

An American aircraft carrier is also expected to arrive in the region within the next five to seven days. Three US fast jet squadrons have already been deployed.

The huge array of military strength is currently in a defensive posture, designed to deter Iran from striking against US interests. However it could be turned into an offensive force.

 Our flagship weeknight politics programme is under way.

We will be joined by shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel, and former ambassador to multiple Middle Eastern countries, Sir William Patey.

On our panel is Plaid Cymru's Westminster leader Liz Saville-Roberts, and broadcaster Nick Ferrari.

Watch live on Sky News and in the stream at the top of this page.