The Aramco refinery in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, has reportedly been shut down after a suspected drone strike in the area

A large fire has erupted at one of the world's largest oil refineries in Saudi Arabia.

Thick plumes of smoke have been seen billowing from the Aramco refinery in Ras Tanura following a reported drone strike.

It comes as suspected Iranian strikes around the Middle East continue, with explosions reported in Bahrain and Dubai, and smoke seen close to the US embassy in Kuwait. A UK military base in Cyprus was also hit by a suspected drone strike last night, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson confirmed.

There were no reported casualties, but family members living on the base are being moved to a safer location on the island. Hours before the strike, Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed the UK had given the US permission to launch strikes on Iranian missile sites from British bases.

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He said that while the UK will not be directly involved in strikes, "partners in the Gulf have asked us to do more to defend them".

Fighting in the Middle East has now entered its third day, with the US and Israel continuing attacks on Iran following the death of its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. On Sunday, an Iranian missile strike killed nine people in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh.

The ‌Israeli military said it had ‌also begun striking the Iranian proxy group Hezbollah at sites across Lebanon. Attacks in Beirut and southern Lebanon have killed at least 31 people and injured 149, according to the Lebanese health ministry. At least three civilians have been killed in the UAE since Saturday.

An unprecedented operation by the Foreign Office is underway to support British citizens in the Middle East as airstrikes continue across the region. Iran's counter attacks on military bases across the Gulf have already seen major airports close, including in Dubai - the world's busiest international hub.

More than 20,000 travellers are thought to have been impacted by flight cancellations since the UAE airports closed on Saturday.

Sir Keir Starmer said at least 200,000 British citizens are currently in the Gulf, including both residents and tourists. 94,000 of these, who are mostly in Dubai, have already registered their presence in the Middle East via an online government platform which was launched shortly after the airstrikes began on Saturday.