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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.

Is the cost of living crisis over?

If you're looking purely at the annual inflation data, the numbers us journalists, not to mention politicians and economists, tend to focus on, the answer might seem like: probably, yes.

Sure, the rate is, at 3.4% in May, higher than the Bank of England's 2% target. But it's far below the double-digit peaks experienced in 2022. Plus, the Bank itself thinks prices are likely to drop back down towards 2% in the coming year or two, even assuming a few more interest rate cuts. End of story, right?

Well, not quite. Because look a bit deeper into the numbers and you notice a couple of important things.

Here's a rule I tend to apply across the board in Westminster: If a politician is talking, politics is probably taking place.

Add into that, if the topic of debate is especially grave or serious, be more prepared to apply the rule, not less.

There is no doubt Tory leader Kemi Badenoch was politicising the issue when she ripped into the government in the Commons on Monday.

In fact, she admitted as much.

Asked about it during her news conference, she said: "When I'm in the Commons, I will do politics. If every time we are pointing things out and doing our job we are accused of politicising something, it makes it a lot harder."

So the question here is less about whether politics is at play (it almost always is and that's not necessarily a bad thing), and more about whose interests the politics is working towards.

In other words, does Ms Badenoch care about the grooming scandal because she cares about victims or because she cares about herself?

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has announced new protections in a bill which will attempt to cut benefits to more than three million households.

In its current form, the government faces a big rebellion from dozens of Labour MPs over concerns that changes to welfare will drive families into poverty.

On today's episode, Matt Barbet is joined by political correspondent Tamara Cohen to discuss the backlash from inside the Labour Party and the wider public.

We've just had a statement from Downing Street following the conclusion of the COBRA meeting on the Israel-Iran conflict.

A spokeswoman said: "The prime minister chaired a ministerial COBRA meeting this afternoon on the situation in the Middle East.

"Ministers were updated on efforts to support British nationals in the region and protect regional security, as well as ongoing diplomatic efforts."

It is understood that Sir Keir Starmer will continue to have calls with regional counterparts on the situation.

British nationals are not currently being offered repatriation flights by the UK government. Instead, they are being advised to shelter in place, or can receive assistance in Jordan or Egypt from Foreign Office teams, should they choose to leave by land.

The COBRA meeting about the Israel-Iran conflict has now finished, Sky News understands.

COBRA - which stands for Cabinet Office Briefing Room A - is often called in times of emergency, such as civil unrest or flooding.

It was chaired by the prime minister, and also in attendance were Foreign Secretary David Lammy, UK ambassador to the US Lord Peter Mandelson, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

Other ministers and officials were also likely present, but they were not spotted by the (many) cameras outside the building.

The UK's defence chief, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, was also spotted entering Downing Street. He has since made his scheduled appearance at an event nearby.