Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the likelihood of direct Iranian involvement in the conflict in Gaza; and what steps he is taking to deter such involvement.

The UK is clear that Hamas is fully responsible for these appalling acts of terror in Israel. We are also clear that Iran poses an unacceptable threat to Israel. We have long condemned Iran's destabilising activity throughout the region, including its political, financial and military support to several militant and proscribed groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. During his visit to the Middle East, the Prime Minister discussed the risk of regional escalation extensively with partners and we have deployed UK military assets to the region to carry out surveillance and act as a deterrent. Such activity compromises the region's security, its ability to prosper and escalates already high tensions.