The UK is sending four additional Typhoon jets to join its operations in Qatar, Sir Keir Starmer said.

He added that he was focused on “providing calm, level-headed leadership in the national interest” amid the war in the Middle East.

The Prime Minister said on Thursday: “I can announce today that we’re sending four additional Typhoon jets to join our squadron in Qatar to strengthen our defensive operations in Qatar and across the region.

“Wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities are arriving in Cyprus tomorrow.”

The first charter flight from Oman “took off a few minutes ago”, Sir Keir said at an afternoon press conference.

The Prime Minister said: “More than 4,000 people have now arrived back in the United Kingdom on commercial flights from the UAE, including vulnerable Brits identified by our teams.

“A further seven flights are due to leave the UAE for the UK today, and I can report that our first charter flight from Oman took off a few minutes ago.

“We will lay on additional charter flights in the coming days.

“British Airways is putting on daily flights from Oman, and we will keep working with all of our partners to increase the speed and capacity of this airlift.

“I want to be very clear, this is a huge undertaking.

Three Government-chartered flights are set to leave Oman to rescue British nationals stranded in the Middle East in the coming days including one on Thursday afternoon that was delayed overnight from Wednesday.

Muscat has become a key departure point for people to leave the Middle East, with most commercial flights from the UAE cancelled due to airspace restrictions stemming from the conflict.

British Airways, which does not normally serve Oman’s capital city, said it remains unable to operate its scheduled flights from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv.

The UK Foreign Office does not advise against travel to the area where the Muscat airport is located, unlike the current guidance for airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Doha, Qatar.

There is not expected to be a large-scale evacuation of the 138,000 British nationals who have registered their presence in the Middle East.