hotel in Bahrain's capital Manama was damaged

A total of 102,000 Britons have registered their presence in the Middle East with the UK government, as Iranian strikes continue across the region.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC there were an estimated 300,000 British citizens in Gulf countries, where much of the air space is closed.

She said many of those trapped were holidaymakers, passengers transiting through or people on business visits.

Foreign Office sources said no evacuation was imminent but the government was preparing for potential scenarios if commercial flights remained grounded.

British nationals in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar and United Arab Emirates have been urged to register their presence to receive updates from the Foreign Office.

While speaking to MPs on Monday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged all British citizens in the region to register their presence so the government can provide "the best possible support".

The government has previously used registration schemes to provide urgent updates to people affected by international crises but the number of people and countries affected in this case is unprecedented.

Cooper told BBC Breakfast the situation was "deeply stressful" for those affected.

She urged people to follow local advice, which in most countries was to shelter in place.

Asked if the government was planning to launch an evacuation, Cooper said: "We are in close contact, for example, with the travel industry, with airline companies and airports and also with the governments in the region."

She added: "But we will need to provide updates for people as we go along... That's why we're encouraging people to register their presence so we know where they are so we can get information to them swiftly."

Cooper said that in previous similar situations the government had wanted to work with airline companies so people could fly home in the normal way.

Sir Keir told MPs "the situation on the ground may remain challenging for some time" and the government was "looking at all options" to support British nationals in the region.

He added that the government was sending rapid deployment teams to the region to support Britons, as well as working with the travel industry and governments in the region. (BBC)

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