Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out putting British troops on the ground in Iran, as he insisted the UK will not be “dragged in” to Donald Trump’s escalating war in the region.

The US sparked fears over the weekend that it is preparing to launch ground operations in Iran, as fighting between Tehran and Washington continues into its second month.

The prime minister has faced criticism from both allies and enemies over his approach to the conflict, but doubled down on his position on Monday when asked if British troops could be sent to the Middle East.

“This is not our war and we’re not going to get drawn into it,” he said, adding the UK will continue to take defensive action and work to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“What we have done is taken defensive action: so we’ve had our pilots up in the air since an hour or two after this war started, defending British lives, British interests and, of course, our allies in the region.”

He added: “But we are not going to get dragged into this war.”

It comes after Mr Trump indicated his war on Iran could further escalate, as he mulls over a military operation to seize Iran’s Kharg Island, a crucial part of the country’s export infrastructure.

A report in The Washington Post over the weekend stated that the Pentagon is awaiting Mr Trump’s approval for ground operations, as US Central Command confirmed thousands of US sailors and marines had moved to the Middle East aboard the USS Tripoli warship on Saturday.

Read more: British troops will not join any ground invasion of Iran, Starmer says