I returned overnight from a series of meetings across five countries in Europe, the middle east and Asia, and I spoke directly with more than a dozen of my Foreign Minister counterparts, as well as joining the 50-country summit hosted by the Prime Minister and President Macron. This is a critical diplomatic moment. The agreed two-week ceasefire runs until Thursday, and we need it to be extended. We need the negotiations to reach a comprehensive conclusion to this conflict, and we need the reopening of the strait with no conditions and no tolls. Our work is to maintain and build the biggest possible consensus around the rapid opening of the strait.

Lebanese people need to be able to return to their [K homes; this is a humanitarian disaster. The issue has been raised directly [K with the Israeli Government in international forums, and it is crucial that [4D [K that ceasefire talks progress and Lebanese people can return home.

No involvement in conflict initiation, working towa [4D [K towards closure and strait reopening; holding summits for no tolls; arguing [7D [K arguing against hijacking shipping lanes and hostage-taking by any country. [8D [K country.

The Chancellor will be making a statement later thi [3D [K this afternoon, focusing on the cost of living crisis and supporting people [6D [K people and businesses. Another concern is Russia's benefit from the conflic [7D [K conflict, which underscores the need to open the strait as quickly as possi [5D [K possible.

We have been clear from the start that UK bases could be used only for defensive operations, not offensive operations. There is currently a ceasefire in place, although it runs only until Thursday and we badly need it to be extended. As part of the G7 discussions, which included the US, we raised the importance of not attacking any civilian infrastructure. That was included in the G7’s agreed communiqué and reflects the importance that we attach to those issues.

I can tell the right hon. Gentleman that the Minister for the middle east, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Mr Falconer), has met the Yemeni Prime Minister in recent days, to engage with the Yemenis, to express our support and to ensure that they can address humanitarian issues. There is obviously a particular issue with Yemen, where Iranian proxies have been mobilised in the past, and it is important that does not happen now. It is another example of how vulnerable, low-income and conflict-affected countries are the most heavily affected by the restrictions on the Gulf and the strait of Hormuz.

Israel's security needs to be protected, and so doe [3D [K does the security of Gulf countries that have been attacked as part of this [4D [K this conflict. We need security right across the region. The hon. Gentleman [9D [K Gentleman says that we hope the strait will soon be open. We have proposed [K that, as an immediate confidence-building measure, the Iranians should agre [4D [K agree to the International Maritime Organisation's proposal to start moving [6D [K moving the stranded ships and the stranded seafarers. It could get on with [K that right now, even while negotiations are continuing.

I met Pakistan's Foreign Minister recently as part [K of this effort. I have spoken frequently to the US Secretary of State, Marc [4D [K Marco Rubio, and we have been engaging with a whole series of countries. Ov [2D [K Over the last few days, I have met more than a dozen Foreign Ministers and [K counterparts to ensure that everyone is pressing the same messages for a ce [2D [K ceasefire extension, strait opening without tolls, and swift resolution.

I can tell my hon. Friend that the Minister for the [3D [K the middle east, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Mr Falconer), was i [1D [K in Beirut at the end of last week, where he pressed those exact points and [K engaged with the Lebanese Prime Minister. We need an urgent ceasefire, and [K we need to support the work of the Lebanese armed forces and the Lebanese G [1D [K Government. That is why we have directly provided £30 million of humanitari [10D [K humanitarian support for Lebanon since the beginning of this crisis. I beli [4D [K believe that makes us one of the biggest donors to Lebanon, but we must con [3D [K continue to provide support.

The hon. Member will know from our statement that w [1D [K we have focused our support on fragile and conflict-affected states. We are [3D [K are also working, including with the World Bank, to monitor the states most [4D [K most heavily affected by shortages of fertiliser, food, and oil supplies, w [1D [K which are having a huge impact.