More RAF jets are being sent to the Middle East amid intense fighting between Israel and Iran, the prime minister has said. Sir Keir Starmer said the military aircraft were being sent "for contingency support across the region".

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain is moving additional military assets, including fighter jets, to the Middle East to provide support across the region, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters on Saturday as he was en route to a Group of Seven meeting in Canada.

Sir Keir Starmer confirmed Britain was moving military assets to the region as Iran warned UK bases would be targeted if it helped defend Israel

The United States is drawing down the presence of staffers who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East and their loved ones due to the potential for regional unrest.

(Reuters) -Traders on Friday exchanged the most $80 West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil call options since January, expecting more upside to prices after Israeli airstrikes on Iran sparked fears of a wider Middle East conflict.