British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday unveiled a long-delayed Defense Investment Plan, announcing an additional 15 billion pounds for defense that will bring the country's total defense spending over the next four years to nearly 300 billion pounds.
In addition, Starmer said the government would increase defense spending from 2.3 percent of the GDP in 2024 to 2.7 percent by 2029, putting Britain on a path to reach 3 percent during the next Parliament.
Originally scheduled for release in the fall of 2025, the plan has been repeatedly delayed due to disputes between the UK Ministry of Defense and the Treasury over funding scale, allocation cycles, and sources of financing.
UK adds another 15 billion pounds for defense
Qatar confirmed on Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in Doha but will not hold direct meetings with Iranian officials.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said at the weekly press briefing that the U.S. delegation would instead meet with mediators to discuss progress in implementing the recently signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei on Tuesday denied that direct negotiations with U.S. officials are scheduled.
However, he said Iran will hold a meeting with Qatar on Wednesday to discuss the implementation of the MoU, with clauses on unfreezing Iran's frozen assets set to be a key agenda item.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that reaching an understanding is a bilateral matter, and if the United States honors the peace MoU, Iran will also fulfill its obligations.
The Iranian president also stressed that Iran responds to "unreasonable boasting and unfounded threats" with rational decision-making and decisive, fearless self-defense.
On June 18, Iran and the United States signed the MoU on ending the war in the region on all fronts, including Lebanon.
On June 22, technical negotiations between Iran and the United States began in Switzerland, following high-level consultations between Iranian and U.S. delegations the previous day, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar.
Qatar says US envoys in Doha, no direct talks with Iran planned
