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US allies have rejected President Trump’s appeal for them to send warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas usually passes.

Iran has closed the key sea lane in response to US and Israeli airstrikes, attacking ships with drones and missiles, leading to a sharp increase in global oil and gas prices and warnings of soaring inflation and an international economic crisis.

The British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK would not be “drawn into the wider war”. He said: “Ultimately, we have to reopen the strait of Hormuz” and did not rule out any form of action, but she aid it would have to be agreed by as “many partners as possible”.

That led President Trump to again criticise Sir Keir’s response to the war, saying he had thought the UK was the “Rolls Royce of allies” but was disappointed by the lack of support.

European countries have turned down the callas for help from the US president, despite threats from Donald Trump hat Nato faces “a very bad future” if members fail to help reopen the vital waterway.

Germany ruled out participation in any military activity, saying it had not been a joint decision to launch military action against Iran. The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said: “That is why the question of how Germany might contribute militarily does not arise. We will not do so”.

Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said “diplomacy needs to prevail”. France, along with Japan and Australia, has also said it does not plan to send warships to the region.

US allies also expressed concern over the situation in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have begun ground operations against what they say are Hezbollah strongholds in the south of the country, after days of airstrikes.

Sophie Raworth presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Chris Mason, Jonathan Beale and Jeremy Bowen.

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US President Donald Trump has reiterated his requests for support from Nato allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz - days after saying "we don’t need” UK aircraft carriers in the Middle East.

For now, the UK PM and other European allies are holding off - with Sir Keir Starmer saying the UK doesn’t want to get drawn into the wider US-Israeli war with Iran.

James and Chris are joined by Panorama film maker Jane Corbin to discuss the ongoing disagreement between the two sides of the Atlantic.

Plus, The Economist’s defence editor Shashank Joshi joins James to explain why Trump has requested European support in the Gulf, and whether it would actually make a difference.

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00:00 Introduction

00:39 Starmer and Trump disagree on Iran

04:05 What do Europe and Nato say?

10:01 Why does Trump keep singling out Starmer?

15:01 What does the Strait of Hormuz being blocked mean?

26:29 What could Nato do in Iran that the US can't?

29:32 - Iran's view on the war

36:42 Keir Starmer's oil payments package

President Donald Trump has criticised US allies for their reluctance to help break the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — a vital waterway for oil and gas tankers. “I’m demanding that these countries come in," he said. "It’s the place from which they get their energy. And they should ... help us protect it”.

No countries have yet committed to sending warships to the Strait.

Following President Trump's comments that it would be "very bad for the future of Nato" if its members refuse to join the American efforts, Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said, "this is not our war, we have not started it”.

The BBC's diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams tells us that the wariness of Washington’s allies means there is no quick fix to the Iran crisis.

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After a wave of attacks on shipping in the Gulf, US President Donald Trump warned Nato faces a “very bad future” if allies do not help secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has complained that some were not that enthusiastic about getting involved.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he and his allies are working on a plan to secure the vital waterway, but has insisted the UK would not be drawn into a “wider war” over Iran.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military says it has begun a wide-scale wave of strikes in parts of Iran and has detailed plans for at least three more weeks of war.

Iran has continued to make retaliatory strikes across the region - the UAE’s biggest port and oil storage facility Fujairah has been hit and a drone sparked a fuel tank fire at Dubai's international airport.

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Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.

It can affect anyone but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults. It can be very serious if not treated quickly.

Some people carry bacteria in their nose or throat without getting sick, but spread it to others in spit or saliva through coughs and sneezes, kissing and sharing utensils.

BBC News's Health Correspondent Dominic Hughes answers your questions about the infection.

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Hundreds of students have been queueing at the University of Kent for antibiotics after two people died in a meningitis outbreak.

Tributes have been paid to one of the victims, Juliette, a Year 13 student at a grammar school in Faversham. A 21-year-old university student has also died.

Eleven other people are understood to be seriously ill and more than 30,000 people in the Canterbury area are being contacted by the UK Health Security Agency about the outbreak.

The BBC’s Health Editor Hugh Pym, Dr Ellie Cannon, GP, and Dr Tom Nutt, chief executive of Meningitis Now, answer your questions.

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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK will not be drawn into a "wider war" over Iran and he is “working with allies” on a viable plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

He made the comments as he announced a £53m support package for “vulnerable" UK households who have been hit by a sharp increase in the price of heating oil due to the conflict in the Middle East.

The PM says support will be "targeted" to help low-income households in rural communities, although local councils will decide who qualifies and how the money is distributed.

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An "evil" nursery worker has been handed a 30-year sentence for sexually abusing children in what was described in court as "every parent's nightmare".

Nathan Bennett was convicted in February of multiple counts of sexual abuse, including two counts of rape, against five boys at Partou King Street Nursery in Bristol, UK. The victims were two and three years old at the time.

The 30-year-old, of Corston near Bath, had previously admitted 13 other sexual offence charges relating to four of the boys.

Handing down sentence, His Honour Judge William Hart described Bennett as "evil" and an "incorrigible and dangerous paedophile".

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Since an air strike on a primary school in Iran two weeks ago, the Pentagon has faced mounting questions over the possible involvement of the US military.

Iranian officials say the strike killed 168 people, including about 110 children.

US media have reported that US military investigators believe American forces were likely responsible for hitting the school unintentionally at the start of the joint US-Israeli operation - but that they have not reached a final conclusion.

Today, Merlyn Thomas from BBC Verify explains what we know so far about the strike.

And we speak to Oona Hathaway, a professor of international law at Yale University who previously worked at the US Department of Defence, about the potential legal consequences.

We ask the question, was the strike on the primary school a war crime and what could happen to those responsible? And we ask, what does it mean in practice when Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth says things like 'no stupid rules of engagement'?

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:29 The primary school strike: what happened?

07:30 What did US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth say about the school strike?

11:30 What has President Trump said about the school strike?

15:00 How does the US military decide on a target?

17:00 Was the strike on the school a war crime?

24:30 What are the potential consequences?

Two people have died following an outbreak of meningitis in Kent, England, and the BBC understands 11 more in the Canterbury area are in hospital and are seriously ill.

Tributes have been paid to one of the victims, Juliette, a Year 13 student at a grammar school in Faversham. A 21-year-old university student has also died.

The UKHSA has contacted 30,000 people in the local area about the outbreak and hundreds of students have been queueing at the University of Kent for antibiotics.

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For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#Meningitis #BBCNews