A cargo ship struck in the Strait of Hormuz. The evacuation has stopped. Britain is calling for an emergency UN session. Whitehall is in crisis mode.
Sources at the Foreign Office tell me the attack is a game-changer. It isn't just about one ship. The Strait is a chokepoint for global oil. This is the nightmare scenario.
The evacuation, code-named Operation Merlin, was already fragile. Diplomatic efforts to open a safe corridor had failed. Now a missile hit has forced a halt. Hundreds of British nationals stranded. The clock is ticking.
Backbenchers are furious. One senior Tory told me, 'The government has no plan. They are playing chess while the enemy plays whack-a-mole.' I hear the PM's position is shaky. A letter of no confidence is being drafted. It may never be submitted, but the threat is real.
The UN session is a gamble. Britain wants a resolution condemning the attack. But Russia will veto. The US is pushing for a naval blockade. No. 10 is resisting. They fear escalation.
Inside the Cabinet, there is civil war. The Defence Secretary wants a show of force. The Foreign Secretary is calling for restraint. The PM is stuck in the middle. The last time I saw this level of dysfunction was the Iraq War.
Polling data from the last 48 hours shows Labour has opened a 12-point lead. That was before the attack. The evacuation crisis could widen it further. The government is already behind on the economy. Now this.
A Downing Street source tells me the PM is 'determined to resolve this without wider conflict.' But what does that mean? They have no leverage. The attackers are non-state actors. They don't care about UN resolutions.
The Stranded Britons are gathering in hotel lobbies in Dubai. They are waiting. Waiting for news. Waiting for a plane. The government says it will not abandon them. But what can they actually do?
I am hearing that Special Forces are on standby. But a rescue mission would require permission from Gulf states. That permission is not coming. Alliances are fraying. Trust is gone.
This is a moment of truth for the government. The UN session is a Hail Mary. It may achieve nothing. But it sends a message. Britain is not backing down. Even if the world is watching, and doing nothing.
I have been covering Westminster for 30 years. This is the most dangerous crossroads I have seen. The PM is one bad poll away from a full-scale revolt. The question is not if, but when.
Stay tuned. This is breaking. I will have more as it happens.
