The US president then says that Iran's missile programme was intended to shield nuclear weapon development.

Trump says that while the US was the country that wanted this to stop, "everybody was behind us".

He says an Iranian regime armed with nuclear weapons and long-range missiles would be an "intolerable threat" to the Middle East, as well as the American people.

Trump says he took the decision to launch the war because it was "our last, best chance to strike" and to eliminate the "intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime".

President Trump begins the ceremony with a "brief update" on "Operation Epic Fury".

The US continues to carry out "large-scale combat operations" in Iran, the president says, to eliminate threats posed by the Iranian regime.

He says Iran ignored US warnings and "refused to cease their pursuit of nuclear weapons".

After a delayed start, President Trump is now in the East Room.

He's set to speak at a Medal of Honor ceremony, but we're listening out for comments on Iran.

You can follow along live the top of this page.

Sarah Smith
North America editor, reporting from the White House

Image source, POOL

The audience here in the East Room is made up of smartly dressed service personnel in dress uniforms.

It's an event originally intended to honour three US service members posthumously with the US Medal of Honor for "acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty" in conflicts ranging from 1945 Germany to Vietnam to Afghanistan.

But this ceremony’s purpose may be overtaken by the significance of Trump's first remarks since the US began military combat operations in the Middle East.

Press are squeezed in the back.

There is much anticipation among the journalists here about whether we will get to ask why he felt it necessary to launch this war now. Or if he knows what victory in Iran would look like.

Nine ballistic missiles, six cruise missiles and 148 drones were successfully intercepted by the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) air defences, according to its Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Since the beginning of the Iranian attacks, the UAE's MoD says 174 ballistic missiles launched toward the country have been detected, 161 of which were destroyed, while 13 fell into the sea.

A total of 689 Iranian drones were also detected, with 645 intercepted, while 44 landed within the country’s territory, it adds.

Three people have died and 68 have suffered minor injuries during the incidents, according to the Ministry.

The MoD also says that the sounds heard in various parts of the country are as the result of air defence systems intercepting ballistic missiles, and fighter jets intercepting drones and cruise missiles.

"These interceptions led to minor to moderate material damage to a number of civilian properties", it adds.

We're still waiting for Trump to begin speaking, but we can bring you some breaking news from Qatar.

The country's Ministry of Defense says it has shot down two SU24 aircraft coming from Iran.

It also says it has intercepted seven ballistic missiles and five drones "which targeted several areas in the state today".

All missiles were shot down before reaching their targets, it adds.

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

Image source, UK Parliament

We can bring you a bit more from the House of Commons, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer is still facing questions from MPs.

A strong statement there from the prime minister, which seems to put him directly at odds with President Trump.

Starmer tells MPs: "This government does not believe in regime change from the skies."

He also seems to have confirmed that MPs won’t get a vote on the current action. He tells them he has committed only to a vote on offensive actions - which he says this is not.

President Trump is due to speak in just a few minutes but earlier, he spoke to CNN anchor Jake Tapper for nine minutes over the phone, saying that the biggest wave of the Iran operation is yet to come.

"We’re knocking the crap out of them,” Trump has reportedly told Tapper. “I think it’s going very well. It’s very powerful. We’ve got the greatest military in the world and we’re using it."

He added: “We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon.”

Asked about how long the war might be, the US president said about a month. "I don’t want to see it go on too long. I always thought it would be four weeks. And we’re a little ahead of schedule," he said.

Iran's retaliatory attacks on neighbouring Arab countries like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have been the "biggest surprise", Trump added.

"We were surprised,” he said. “We told them, ‘We’ve got this,’ and now they want to fight. And they’re aggressively fighting. They were going to be very little involved and now they insist on being involved.”

Image source, Reuters

Moving away from Keir Starmer in the House of Commons, we head to the US where Donald Trump is attending a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House. He's expected to make some brief remarks.

Trump released several pre-recorded videos about the Iranian operation over the weekend, but this is the first time he's speaking publicly since Israel and the US struck Iran on Saturday.

We'll hear from the US president imminently, so stay with us.

Again, you'll be able to watch live at the top of this page.

Image source, Reuters

Responding to the prime minister's statement, opposition leader Kemi Badenoch says it's a "defining moment" for the world order.

She says the UK stands in solidarity with its allies - including Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait - who she says are on the receiving end of "unprovoked aggression".

The Iranian regime is the "world's foremost sponsor of international terrorism," the Conservative leader tells the Commons.

Badenoch says the Conservative Party backs the "necessary action" taken by the US - and accuses the government of providing "no such clarity".

She mentions how President Trump "publicly rebuked" Starmer for how long the UK took to accept a US request to use British military bases. "You don't need international law to say whose side you're on," Badenoch says.

Starmer says that over the last year alone Iran has backed more than 20 potentially lethal attacks on UK soil, adding that "each we have foiled".

He says it's "clear the Iranian regime must never be allowed to get [its] hands on nuclear weapons".

The PM adds that the government is asking "all British citizens in the region to register their presence so we can provide the best possible support".

The government is also asking citizens to monitor Home Office travel advice which is being regularly updated.

Starmer adds that "we all remember the mistakes of Iraq and we have learned from those lessons".

"And UK actions must always have a lawful basis and a viable thought through plan," he says.

Starmer explains why he changed his mindpublished at 15:47 GMT 2 March

15:47 GMT 2 March

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

The prime minister is explaining why he changed his mind - to allow the United States to use British bases to bomb Iran.

The government is at pains to say they are only giving permission for defensive actions - to destroy Iranian weapons "at source".

Starmer says this is legal under international rules because it amounts to "collective self defence".

But Parliament is not at one on this. The Conservatives, and plenty of other MPs, think the government should have taken part in the initial US and Israeli strikes.

But others - including some Labour MPs - are worried about any involvement at all in facilitating US strikes.

Starmer then says that the US has requested permission to use British bases to be able to stop Iranian missiles at source, where they sit in storage depots or are readied at launchers.

The prime minister says he accepted this new request "in order to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region" and killing civilians.

He stresses, though, that the UK is not joining the US and Israel's offensive strikes.

The prime minister says France and Germany are also prepared to allow US activity on their bases in order to destroy Iran's missile-firing capability.

Starmer says Iran's approach is becoming "even more reckless".

The PM says it's his duty to protect British lives, which he says is why they put British jets in the air "as part of co-ordinated defensive operations".

Those operations have already been effective, he tells the house, including taking out a drone heading towards a base housing UK service personnel.

Image source, Reuters

Starmer says Iran has lashed out across region and has launched "hundreds of missiles and thousands of drones at countries that did not attack them".

He says there are an estimated 300,000 British citizens in the region, including residents, family on holiday and those in transit.

He says Iran has hit airports and hotels where British citizens are staying. "It is deeply concerning for the whole house and whole country", says Starmer.

Starmer adds that last night a drone hit RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. He says that it is important for him to say that our bases in Cyprus are not being used by US bombers.

The PM adds that the strike on RAF was not in response to any decision that we have taken.

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

I’m in the Commons chamber for the prime minister’s statement on the situation in Iran.

There are a huge number of MPs seeking to speak - such is the interest events of the past 72 hours.

The prime minister accepts that US President Donald Trump has "expressed his disagreement" with the UK's decision not to get involved initially.

"But it is my duty to judge what is in Britain's national interests," Starmer continues, saying he stands by his choices.

In an interview with the Telegraph, Donald Trump said the UK prime minister "took far too long" to accept a US request to use British military bases for "defensive" strikes on Iranian missile sites.

Image source, Reuters

Prime Minister Starmer is on his feet.

He starts by saying the UK was not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and calls that decision "deliberate".

The PM says the best way forward is a "negotiated settlement" where Iran agrees to give up "any aspiration" to develop a nuclear weapon, and ends "its destabilising activity" across the region.

We're about to hear from Keir Starmer, who's going to be fielding questions on the situation in the Middle East - and his decision to grant the US permission to use British military bases to launch defensive strikes on Iran.

We'll be bringing you his key lines here, but you can also watch live at the top of this page.

US President Donald Trump has said Keir Starmer "took far too long" to accept a US request to use British military bases for "defensive" strikes on Iranian missile sites.

In an interview with the Telegraph, Trump says the delay in accepting the US request has "probably never happened between our countries before".

Speaking of Starmer, he adds: "It sounds like he was worried about the legality."

The prime minister's official spokesman, asked about Trump's remarks, says Iran striking British interests led to the change in position and he describes the UK and US as "staunch allies".