British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged Donald Trump to step back from military action against Iran, BBC reports.

The prime minister says there is a “real risk of escalation” in the conflict, urging all sides to seek a diplomatic outcome.

He says there have previously been “several rounds of discussions with the US” and “that, to me, is the way to resolve this issue”.

His comments come as Foreign Secretary David Lammy takes the UK’s plea for de-escalation to Washington, where he will meet Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio and discuss the situation in the Middle East.