British forces in Bahrain and Iraq being drawn into Iran conflict in defence of civilian sites and military assets

Huge plumes of black smoke were seen rising from an area near the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Manama, Bahrain.

British military personnel at a base in Bahrain were "within several hundred yards" of a strike, the defence secretary says.

British forces in Bahrain and Iraq being drawn into Iran conflict in defence of civilian sites and military assets

Officials are understood to be working on plans to evacuate British nationals, should airspace remain closed.

What is likely to happen now that the US has been given permission to use British bases for a ‘specific and limited defensive purpose’

UK considering all evacuation options, including charter and military flights and bus trips across land borders