Key moments
RAF fighter jets shot down “a number” of Iranian attack drones headed towards Israel, the prime minister has confirmed.
Rishi Sunak confirmed that Typhoons, dispatched from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, fired an unspecified number of counter-drone strikes overnight.
He said that “the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate” had Iran’s attack on Israel been successful. He said it was now time for “calm heads to prevail”.
Almost all of the missiles were intercepted, Sunak added, which he said had saved lives in neighbouring countries such as Jordan as well as Israel.
He said: “We’ll be working with our allies to de-escalate the situation, and I look forward to speaking to G7 leaders later this afternoon.”
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The UK had sent additional aircraft to the region in anticipation of Iran’s attack on Israel on Saturday night, which was the first time a direct military assault has been launched by Tehran on Israel.
The latest British involvement is significant as it is a clear demonstration of the UK’s support for Israel amid growing concern the country is breaking international law in Gaza after more than 33,000 Palestinians were killed during the fighting.
Israel has vowed to respond but there were repeated calls for restraint from leaders across the world.
President Biden of the US has told Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, that he would oppose an Israeli counterattack against Iran and that the prime minister should “take the win”.
US representatives divided on funding for Israel
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President Biden held a call with congressional leaders on Sunday as US representatives remained divided on how to pass additional funding for Israel (Samuel Rucker writes).
The phone call was held with House Speaker Mike Johnson along with the Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, according to an aide to Schumer.
Earlier in the day Johnson said the House of Representatives would vote on aid for Israel in the coming days. “We’re going to try … this week,” Johnson told Fox News. “The details of that package are being put together. Right now, we’re looking at the options and all these supplemental issues.”
Johnson has faced previous backlash from hardline Republicans linked to the former president Donald Trump, who previously blocked a funding package to their long-time ally because it was attached to aid to Ukraine.
It remains unclear if the package Johnson will put forward later this week will include funding to Ukraine.
Trump weighs in with ‘Make Iran Pay’ fundraiser
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Donald Trump has sent out a fundraising appeal, urging his supporters to “make Iran pay” (Samuel Rucker writes).
In an email message, Trump said, “Crooked Joe [Biden] is asleep at the wheel! AMERICA IS NOT SAFE.”
The former president added: “Israel is UNDER ATTACK from Iran! This would NEVER HAVE HAPPENED, ZERO CHANCE if your favorite President, me, was in the Oval Office.
“Biden is WEAK and INCOMPETENT. He hasn’t even addressed the nation yet.”
The appeal featured an advert reading “Make Iran Pay,” leading to a donation page which suggested contributions of up to $3,300 (£2,652).
Iran releases video of start of attacks
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Iranian state media has released broadcast footage that it maintains shows the start of the missile and drone attacks on Israel.
Cameron summons Iranian diplomat
Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, the foreign secretary, ordered a top Iranian diplomat to be summoned to the Foreign Office to protest about last night’s attack on Israel.
Cameron summoned the chargé d’affaires of the Iranian embassy to condemn the “unprecedented attack”, which also violated Jordan and Iraq’s airspace.
“At a time of great tension in the Middle East, this was a profoundly dangerous and unnecessary escalation by Iran,” a Foreign Office spokesman said.
Referring to a ship seized by Iran, the UK also called for the “immediate and unconditional release of the civilian ship MSC Aries and its crew, which was seized by Iranian armed forces yesterday in international waters”.
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A spokesman added: “The Iranian authorities must take meaningful and immediate action to de-escalate and halt [Iran’s] reckless and unlawful behaviour.”
Hamas and Iran ‘want to ignite the Middle East’
Israel’s military has approved plans for both “offensive and defensive” responses today in the wake of the Iranian attacks, a spokesman for the country’s military said this afternoon (David Rose writes).
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, giving a daily Israel Defence Forces (IDF) briefing to the media, said: “Hamas and Iran want to ignite the Middle East and to escalate [in] the region,” adding that the IDF remained on high alert and was assessing the situation.
“Over the last two hours, we approved operational plans for both offensive and defensive action,” he said. “We will continue to protect the state of Israel, and together with our partners we will continue to build a more secure and stable future for the entire Middle East.”
Hagari did not give any further details on what plans have been approved, but the briefing follows a meeting of Israel’s war cabinet in the past two hours.
He said that Iran’s attack involved some 350 missiles and drones — weighing around 60 tonnes — but “their plan failed”. He added: “Only a few missiles managed to enter the Israeli airspace and caused some very slight damage to the infrastructure of this airforce base.”
Jordan warns Iran about its comments
As the diplomatic fallout from Iran’s attacks continues, Jordan’s foreign ministry has summoned Iran’s ambassador to warn Tehran to stop questioning its position (David Rose writes).
“Everything that poses a threat to Jordan and to the security of Jordanians, we confront with all our capabilities and abilities,” the ministry said on Twitter/X, defending its role in helping shoot down missiles in last night’s attacks.
Ayman Safadi, the country’s foreign minister, said he had also protested against comments made by Iranian state media in recent days that warned Jordan would be the next target if it co-operated with Israel.
At the same time, Jordan has been seeking to calm tensions, with King Abdullah II telling President Biden in a phone call that any further escalation from Israel could widen the conflict in the region.
Take concrete action, urges Israeli ambassador to UN
An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council is to be held in New York in response to a call from Israel for an “unequivocal condemnation” of the Iranian drone and missile attack (Will Pavia writes).
Israel’s ambassador Gilad Erdan requested the meeting in a letter calling the scale of Iran’s attack “unprecedented” and a “flagrant violation” of Israel’s sovereignty, “of international law and of Security Council resolutions”.
Besides asking the council to condemn it, he asked it to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organisation. In a post on Twitter/X, he called on the council “to take concrete action against Iran”.
The Security Council has scheduled a meeting for 4pm in New York to address “the situation in the Middle East”.
The UN secretary-general, António Guterres, issued a statement condemning the attack as “serious escalation”, saying that “neither the region nor the world can afford another war”. His spokesman said he would speak at the Security Council meeting.
G7 leaders co-ordinate response to attack
Following a video conference call involving Rishi Sunak and President Biden, the G7 leaders issued a joint statement “unequivocally condemning in the strongest terms” the direct attack by Iran while expressing “our full solidarity and support to Israel” and reaffirming “our commitment towards its security” (David Rose writes).
The group — made up of the US, Italy, Japan, Germany, France, Britain and Canada — also said that Iran, “with its actions, has further stepped toward the destabilisation of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation”.
They said their nations “stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilising initiatives”.
Biden also had a call with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, in which the king said that any “escalatory measures” by Israel would lead to a broader conflict in the region, according to the royal court. There was no immediate White House summary of the call.
The G7 meeting, Biden said, was intended “to co-ordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack”.
Bolivian president warns of ‘third world war’ risk
Bolivia’s president has warned of a possible “third world war” because of the growing conflict in the Middle East (David Harding writes).
Luis Arce, elected almost four years ago, said “War is the worst way to resolve international conflicts” and warned that escalating tensions between Israel and Iran threatened the stability of the whole world.
“In war there are no winners, everyone loses, and the escalation of violence worldwide puts humanity at risk of disappearing. We join the call of other countries in the world to establish peace in the Middle East within the framework of international law,” he wrote on Twitter/X.
“We urgently demand that the UN secretary-general convene a meeting to prevent this conflict from escalating into a third world war. Respect for life, peace and security must be the guiding principles in relations between states and peoples.”
G7 leaders call for Iran to cease its attacks
The G7 leaders including Italy, Japan, France, Canada, Britain and the US, have released a statement after their meeting on Iran’s attack on Israel.
“With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilisation of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided,” it said.
The leaders are also demanding that Iran and its proxies “cease their attacks”, and said they would continue to work towards an “immediate and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza”.
Hezbollah praises Iran’s ‘brave’ retaliation
The Iranian-backed group Hezbollah, which joined the overnight attack on Israel, praised Iran, describing its strikes as a “brave” decision.
The Lebanese group added in a statement that Iran had exercised its rights despite “threats, intimidation and pressure”.
An Israeli strike “destroyed” a building linked to Hezbollah in eastern Lebanon on Sunday.
The Afghan ministry of foreign affairs, which is part of the Taliban government, also issued a statement in support of Iran, calling its strikes on Israel an exercise of the “legitimate right to self-defence”.
The ministry accused Israel of trying to “divert world attention away from the genocide of over 33,000 civilians in Gaza by violating the airspace of sovereign states and provocations aimed at broadening regional insecurity”.
The statement concluded: “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan calls on all influential world and regional states to expedite their efforts of halting the crimes of the Zionist regime in order to prevent further escalation of the crisis.”
Iran and Israel’s history of conflict
With Iran’s first direct attack on Israel, the decades-long “shadow war” between the two adversaries has exploded into public view.
From Iran’s formation of Hezbollah following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982, to the development of Tehran’s nuclear programme in the early 2000s, key moments in their hostilities have included:
2018: Israel strikes Iranian military infrastructure in Syria after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces there fired rockets at Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
2019: Israel simultaneously strikes Iranian-backed militants in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon in a bid to disrupt an Iranian route supplying weapons to Hezbollah through the “Shia crescent.”
2021: Iran blames Israel for the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the mastermind of its covert nuclear weapons programme, following explosions at key facilities.
2022: Israel assassinates a senior IRGC commander, Colonel Sayad Khodayee, in Tehran. He is alleged to have led a covert unit tasked with abductions and killings of Israelis and other foreigners around the world.
2023: Hamas launched October 7 attacks on Israel. Iran accuses Israel of a missile strike in Syria that killed a high level IRGC commander Brigidier General Sayyed Razi Mousavi
January 2024: An explosion in Beirut kills Saleh al-Arouri, a Hamas leader and two associates. Hezbollah steps up attacks on Israel which responds with strikes killing several commanders.
March 2024: An Israeli drone strike hits a car in southern Lebanon, killing the deputy commander of Hezbollah’s rocket and missile unit. Air strikes also hit Iranian-backed militia targets in Syria.
April 1, 2024: Israel strikes an Iranian Embassy building in Damascus, killing three top Iranian commanders and four officers.
European Council chief calls for all parties to exercise restraint
Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, said that all G7 leaders “unanimously condemned Iran’s unprecedented attack against Israel”.
Sharing a picture of the G7’s video conference on Twitter/X, Michel wrote: “All parties must exercise restraint. We will continue all our efforts to work towards de-escalation. Ending the crisis in Gaza as soon as possible, notably through an immediate ceasefire, will make a difference.
“The situation in the Middle East, including Lebanon, will be discussed at the European Council next week.”
The White House wrote on Twitter/X: “President Biden spoke by secure video with the leaders of the G7 today. The leaders condemned Iran’s unprecedented attack against Israel and reaffirmed the G7’s commitment to Israel’s security.”
David Cameron calls for end of Iran aggression
Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, the foreign secretary, has said he condemned Iran’s attack on Israel “in the strongest terms” during a call with Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, his Iranian counterpart.
Cameron added on Twitter/X: “I made clear that Iran must stop these reckless attacks, de-escalate and release the MSC Aries.”
The MSC Aries, an Israeli-affiliated container ship, was seized by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in the strait of Hormuz, 50 nautical miles off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Iran’s state news agency said on Saturday that the vessel was being transferred to Iran’s territorial waters.
What is Israel’s Iron Dome?
Thanks to its air defences, Israel intercepted 99 per cent of the missiles and drones launched by Iran and its proxy groups last night.
The military’s missile systems — the short-range Iron Dome, the medium-range David’s Sling, and the long-range Arrow 3 — were used to shoot down incoming drones, cruise missiles and rockets fired from Iran, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.
Forces from the US, the UK and Jordan also helped form a “defence coalition” against the attack, which saw most threats intercepted outside of Israeli airspace.
• Read in full: How Arrow defence system stopped Iran
Benny Gantz pushes for a global united front against Iran
Benny Gantz, the Israeli war cabinet minister, spoke to Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, about the need to form an international alliance in the face of Iranian aggression.
He wrote on Twitter/X: “We discussed first and foremost the imperative of forming a global united front to counter emboldened Iranian aggression directly and through its proxies – regionally and globally.”
He added that he expressed his “appreciation for both Germany’s and the minister’s personal clear stance in support of Israel and the unequivocal German condemnation of the Iranian attack against the state of Israel”.
Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister, has also called for a strategic alliance against Iran. He said: “We have an opportunity to establish a strategic alliance against this grave threat by Iran which is threatening to mount nuclear explosives on these missiles, which could be an extremely grave threat.”
The Israeli war cabinet met this afternoon to discuss next steps.
‘This is a declaration of war’ says President Herzog
Iran’s attack makes Israel feel like it is at war with Tehran, President Herzog has told Sky News.
“There is an empire of evil in Tehran, which has its proxies, led all over the region and [with] all cells all over the world,” he said. “They’re spending billions of dollars undermining stability in the region.”
He said proportionally, last night’s attack would amount to 3,500 drones and missiles fired if the attack was aimed at the UK.
“We were attacked last night from four corners of the Middle East with proxies shooting at us, firing missiles and ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles. This is like a real war. I mean, this is a declaration of war,” he said, but added that Israel would exercise restraint.
“The last thing that Israel is seeking in this region since its creation is to go to war, we are seeking peace,” he said.
Iran may speed up its nuclear weapons programme
The largely foiled Iranian attack on Israel could prompt Tehran to speed up its nuclear weapons programme to establish deterrence, Ali Vaez, the director of the Iran project at the NGO Crisis Group, said.
The attack showed the limits of Iran’s conventional military power, according to Vaez. “I think the attack which was designed to be spectacular but not fatal really puts on display the limits to Iran’s deterrence,” he said.
“One consequence of this that could be very dangerous regardless of the triumphalist rhetoric coming out of Tehran today is that if their regional deterrence is diminished … Iran is likely to consider the ultimate deterrent, which comes in the form of nuclear weapons. They’ve never been closer.”
Iran fired more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel to avenge a strike, widely attributed to Israel, this month on their consulate in Damascus which killed their top general in Syria.
“The attack on the consulate in Damascus was the last straw really. It unleashed a tremendous amount of bottom up pressure on the system which was unprecedented. Even after [Qasem] Soleimani was killed [in 2020], I don’t remember the core constituency of the regime putting so much pressure on the system,” Vaez said.
“The reason the core constituent is so important for the regime is because it only has the support of around 10, 15 per cent of the Iranian people.”
Donald Trump responds to Iran attack
Donald Trump responded to Iran’s attack on Israel by reposting a 2018 tweet in which he threatened President Raisi of Iran and said the US would not stand for “demented words of violence and death”.
At the time he wrote: “To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!”
Trump posted a screenshot of the Florida senator Rick Scott praising the message on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Security minister says Israel must go ‘berserk’
In a statement illustrating tensions within the Israeli cabinet, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister for national security and a member of the war cabinet, has said Israel must go “berserk” in response to Iran’s attack.
Ben-Gvir said: “The concepts of containment and proportionality [from international humanitarian law], these concepts became obsolete on October 7. In order to establish deterrence in the Middle East, you must show them that you’ve gone berserk and completely lost it.”
Miki Zohar, Israel’s culture and sport minister, criticised what he called a “weak response” to Iranian aggression.
“A weak response to the unprecedented Iranian aggression is the continuation of the outdated concept of reasonable logic in the face of brutal terrorists,” he wrote.
“It failed against Hamas and we got October 7, it failed against Hezbollah which attacks us continuously and led to the evacuation of the residents of the north, and it will fail against Iran which did not hesitate to attack Israel directly.”
Zohar also said that Israel had “broad international legitimacy tonight to strike Iran with unprecedented force,” and urged a response “against the head of the snake that is working to destroy Israel”.
Airlines resume operations in Middle East
Major airlines announced that they would resume operations in the Middle East after cancelling or rerouting some flights as Iran launched its attack on Israel.
Emirates Airlines, which had cancelled some flights and rerouted others due to temporary airspace closures in the region, resumed operations to and from Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq on Sunday afternoon. Qatar Airways also resumed services to Amman, Beirut and Baghdad, it said in a post on Twitter/X.
Etihad Airways is planning to operate services between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv as well as Amman and Beirut starting from Monday but said that “there may still be a risk of some knock-on disruption”.
‘We don’t seek a war with Iran’ says US official
John Kirby, the spokesman for the US National Security Council, appeared on CNN this morning and was asked whether the events of the last 24 hours was the beginning of a wider regional war.
“We don’t believe it is, nor do we believe it has to be,” he said. “The president, I mean, almost everything he’s been doing since the beginning, since October 7, has been to try to de-escalate, to try to limit the opportunities here for a broader regional war.
“And if you think about it, just last night, the prepositioning that the president ordered, additional ships, additional aircraft, fighter pilots into the region to help take down these drones and these missiles, I mean, everything he’s doing is trying to set the conditions so that does not happen.”
Asked if the US would support any retaliation from Israel inside Iran he said: “I would just tell you that, number one, our commitment is ironclad to the defending Israel and to helping Israel defend itself. And, my goodness, did they prove their capability about that last night, I mean, just an incredible performance. And as the president has said many times, we don’t seek a wider war in the region. We don’t seek a war with Iran. And I think I will leave it at that.”
France shot down drones flying over Jordan
France shot down several Iranian drones as they flew over French military installations in Jordan and Iraq, according to military sources in Paris.
The sources described the actions as an “indirect participation” in Israel’s defence. One source told French media outlets: “This interception took place to ensure the protection of French bases and contributed de facto to ensuring the defence of Israel.”
France has around 350 troops stationed at an air force base in Jordan from where French planes have taken part in missions against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The total French force in the region is 600-strong, and also uses bases in countries such as Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
French media outlets played down the country’s role in Israel’s defence, saying France had neutralised no more than a handful of drones.
The low-key approach contrasted with the response of Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the Israel Defence Forces spokesman, who was quoted by French journalists as having described France’s contribution as “important”. “France has very good technology, planes, radars and I know it contributed to patrolling the airspace,” he was quoted as saying.
President Macron appeared keen to assure Israel of French support whilst avoiding bellicose tones as he joined allies in calling for calm. “I condemn in the strongest terms the unprecedented attack launched by Iran against Israel, which threatens to destabilise the region. I express my solidarity with the Israeli people and France’s attachment to the security of Israel, our partners and regional stability,” he wrote on Twitter/X. “France is working on de-escalation with its partners and calls for restraint.”
The morning after: in pictures
The streets of Tel Aviv were almost empty on a sunny spring day when children are off on their Passover break and usually out and about.
‘Iran is the greatest threat to world order’
Israel will exact a price from Iran in response to its mass missile and drone attack when the time is right, Benny Gantz, the centrist war cabinet minister, said on Sunday.
“We will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us,” Gantz said in a statement as the Israeli war cabinet was due to convene to discuss Israel’s response to Iran’s attack.
The “initial price” should be the immediate recognition of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terror organisation, as well as new sanctions against Iran and its ballistic missile program, The Times of Israel reported.
The ministry’s statement read: “Last night, a large-scale and unprecedented attack — consisting of hundreds of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles — was launched by Iran against the State of Israel. This attack proves what Israel has been saying for years: Iran is the one behind the terrorist attacks in the region, and is also the greatest threat to regional stability and world order.”
The statement notes that Iran-backed militias in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon all “supplemented” the Iranian attack with their own aerial assaults on Israel.
A senior Israeli Defence Ministry official has told the Israeli broadcaster Kan that the Iranian attack was of “a higher level than expected” and “one of the most complex air defence events recorded” in the world.
The ministry’s statement continued: “Just like any other country, Israel has the right to defend itself in the face of Iran’s massive attack. Israel successfully defended itself against Iran’s aggression and will continue to do so in the future.”
France urges citizens to ‘temporarily leave’ Iran
France has urged its citizens to “temporarily leave” Iran, following Tehran’s attack on Israel.
The French embassy in Tehran said on its website that it “recommends to French residents of Iran who can do so to temporarily leave the country”. It added that French residents should also “exercise the utmost caution in travel” as well as “to avoid any gatherings”.
The embassy’s call came after it was confirmed that Paris had played a role in defending Israel during the attack. Earlier on Sunday, Iran’s foreign ministry had summoned the French ambassador due to their “irresponsible” stance.
Tensions in West Bank ahead of teenager’s funeral
As the world focuses on Iran’s overnight drone attack on Israel, tensions rise in the West Bank.
On Sunday, the funeral of a Palestinian teenager, who officials say was killed by Israeli settlers during the weekend, was due to take place.
The 17-year-old died in Beitin, a village east of Ramallah, following violence sparked by the murder of Benjamin Achimeir, a 14-year-old Israeli.
Hundreds of Jewish settlers backed by Israeli forces subsequently raided nearby Palestinian villages, torching cars and homes, leaving at least two villagers dead and some 25 people injured.
Binyamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces were pursuing Achimeir’s killers. He called the boy’s death a “heinous murder”.
The West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has seen a surge in violence since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
At least 463 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops or settlers in the West Bank since then, according to Palestinian figures.
Israel will respond, officials tell media
Israel will respond to Iran’s attack, but the scope of that response has yet to be determined, officials said while briefing the media.
The options are expected to be discussed in detail during Israel’s war cabinet meeting on Sunday.
An official told CNN that Israel has yet to determine whether it will try to “break all the dishes” or do something more measured.
Turkey wants no further escalation
Iran’s foreign minister has told foreign ambassadors at a meeting in Tehran that Iran had informed Washington that its Saturday overnight attack on Israel would be “limited,” and gave its neighbours three days notice.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian referred to last night’s unprecedented attack as “defensive operations” that Iran had no intention of continuing.
He told Hakan Fidan, his Turkish counterpart, during a phone call that Iran’s operation against Israel has ended.
Fidan had told Amir-Abdollahian that Ankara does not want any further escalation in the Middle East, according to diplomatic sources.
However, Amir-Abdollahian said the Islamic Republic would not hesitate to safeguard its legitimate interests against any new aggression.
Attack on Israel ‘legitimate act’, say Houthis
Iran’s attack on Israel was a “legitimate act” in response to a suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Yemen’s Houthis said on Sunday.
A Houthi spokesman added that the group had been in “direct confrontation” with Israel since October 7, by bombing Eilat, the southern Israeli port near Jordan, and preventing Israeli ships from passing through the Red Sea.
The Syrian foreign ministry has also backed Iran’s attack, calling it a “legitimate right to self-defence”.
Revolutionary Guards warn against dissenting statements on social media
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned Iranians against posting pro-Israel messages on social media, after several of the country’s dissenting sports stars posted critical messages on Instagram.
One of them, Milad Zanidpour, a former member of the Iranian national football team, accused Iran of starting the conflict.
“This was started by the … regime for its survival,” he wrote, questioning how much money had been spent on the drone and missile attack.
Mohammad Ahmadzadeh, an Iranian beach soccer player, also posted that “defenceless people” were paying the price.
Iran’s Islamic regime faces significant opposition at home and abroad that has occasionally erupted into mass protests, most recently in 2022, after a young woman died in detention following her arrest for not wearing the hijab, a Muslim head covering for women.
The regime cracked down on the protests and has continued to harass dissidents and women who violate its strict religious restrictions.
It executed 853 people last year, according to Amnesty International, most of them for using or dealing illegal drugs but also some for political offences.
Iranian state media shows devastating footage ... of Chilean wildfires
Iranian state media used footage of wildfires in Chile in an attempt to show the claimed success of last night’s strikes on Israel.
Under a caption reading “a promise fulfilled,” Iranian state television showed an apocalyptic scene of fires apparently raging after the drone and missile barrage.
The problem, as some pointed out on social media, was that video in fact showed a Chilean vineyard that was set ablaze in February.
The video had been circulated before, falsely claiming it was footage of wildfires in Texas or a Ukrainian missile strike in Sevastapol, Crimea.
The Middle East conflict over the past six months, as well as the Russia-Ukraine war, has seen a glut of fake news footage that is repurposed and often goes viral on social media.
‘This is not our quarrel’, says former British ambassador to Iran
Sir Richard Dalton, former British ambassador to Iran, has told Times Radio he would rather British forces had not got involved in the defence of Israel, saying “this is not our quarrel”.
Speaking to Kate McCann and Adam Boulton he also said it was “entirely legitimate” for the Iranian foreign minister to summon the current British ambassador.
On whether he thought it was right for the RAF to be deployed, Sir Richard said: “I would rather they didn’t. This is not our quarrel. And the way in which Israel has conducted itself has brought on an element of these catastrophes that is now threatening it. I would rather that Britain hadn’t allied itself right from the start, right from October 7, so totally with Israel. I think … that we should have preserved some distance rather than giving that green light which our prime minister did [to encourage and assist] in a small way with the arming of Israel to conduct its campaign.
“But we are where we are now. Iran has said that as far as it is concerned, the matter is closed. There was an attack on them, and they have responded.
“It is entirely legitimate [for Iran] to call in the British ambassador and say it’s time you changed your policies. They might also wish to point out … that British facilities in the Gulf might also be in the line of fire if this conflict escalates. The Iranians have always said that if there is retaliation on their soil, including from the United States, then the United States facilities in the Gulf and elsewhere, the 45,000 troops the United States has in so many bases, that they will be at risk, too.”
Khorramshahr missile likely used in attack
As well as explosive drones and cruise missiles, Iran’s attack last night also likely used Khaibar ballistic missiles which got past Israel’s Iron Dome defences, analysts say.
Although not yet confirmed by either side, this type of medium-range ballistic missile was likely to have caused the damage to the Nevatim military base in southern Israel.
The Khaibar, or Khorramshahr-4, has a range of 2,000 km and the capability to carry a 1,500-kilogram warhead.
Its names refer to a Jewish fortress conquered by Muslims during the Battle of Khaybar in the 7th century, as well as Khorramshahr, a battleground city during the Iraq-Iran War in the 1980s.
Unprecedented escalation unacceptable, says EU chief
The European Union has condemned Iran’s “unprecedented escalation” after the attack against Israel.
“The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel,” said Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign affairs chief. “This is an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security.”
France and Germany have strongly condemned the missile strikes ahead of a crisis G7 video conference call, with Berlin warning that “Iran risks a regional conflagration.”
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, who is visiting Beijing, said Iran’s actions were “unjustifiable and highly irresponsible”.
“Iran risks a further escalation in the region. Germany stands by Israel,” he said.
Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, said Iran’s attack had taken the Middle East to the “edge of a precipice” and called for restraint. She said Tehran had “plunged an entire region into chaos” and said the spiralling tensions needed to end.
European diplomats said that Italy, France and Germany would use the G7 call to express fears over the spread of the conflict and to press Israel to be “cautious” in its response.
Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, will chair the call this afternoon, as the holder of the G7’s rotating informal presidency.
Pope says ‘enough war, enough attacks, enough violence’
Pope Francis has called for a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and urged Iran and Israel to avoid “a spiral of violence”.
Speaking to pilgrims in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, Francis said: “I make a heartfelt appeal for a halt to any action that could fuel a spiral of violence with the risk of dragging the Middle East into an even greater conflict.
“No one should threaten the existence of others. All nations should stand, instead, for peace, and help Israelis and Palestinians to live in two states, side by side, in safety.”
The pope called for a ceasefire in Gaza, negotiations to allow humanitarian aid, and the release off Israeli hostages seized by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
“Enough war, enough attacks, enough violence. Yes to dialogue, yes to peace,” he said.
Attack shows Iran’s ‘responsible approach to regional and international peace’
Tehran has no intention to prolong its “defensive operations”, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s foreign minister, wrote on Twitter/X.
He wrote: “Exercising the right of legitimate defence shows Iran’s responsible approach to regional and international peace and security.
“At this point, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no intention of continuing defensive operations, but if necessary, it will not hesitate to protect its legitimate interests against any new aggression.”
Iran has also told the US that its attacks against Israel would be “limited” and for self-defence, Amir-Abdollahian said in a meeting with ambassadors in Tehran on Sunday.
He added that Tehran had notified its regional neighbours 72 hours before the attacks on Israel.
Girl, 7, injured by Iranian missile required surgery for major head wound
The girl, 7, who was seriously wounded during the interception of a missile fired from Iran last night required surgery for a major head wound.
The girl, from a Bedouin town near Arad, is now in intensive care at the Soroka Medical Centre, an Israeli hospital.
Her injury occurred when shrapnel from an intercepted ballistic missile fell on her family’s home around 2 am, The Times of Israel reported.
Hamas defends Iran’s attack on Israel as ‘natural right’
“We in Hamas regard the military operation conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran a natural right and a deserved response to the crime of targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus and the assassination of several leaders of the Revolutionary Guards,” Hamas said in a statement.
The Hamas-run health ministry said that 33,729 Palestinians were killed and 76,371 injured in Israel’s military offensive in Gaza since October 7.
Qatar, which has been engaged in weeks of negotiations with Israel and Hamas and mediated a hostage exchange between Tehran and Washington last year, expressed “deep concern” after the strikes on Israel and called on “all parties to halt escalation” and “exercise maximum restraint”. The emirate also urged the international community to “take urgent action to defuse the tension and de-escalate”.
Israel strikes Hezbollah building in Lebanon
An Israeli strike “destroyed” a building linked to Hezbollah in eastern Lebanon on Sunday after the group joined in Iran’s overnight attack.
A Hezbollah source told AFP: “The Israeli strike targeted an area … near Baalbek and targeted a two-storey building belonging to Hezbollah,” but said there were no casualties.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that “an enemy airstrike targeted a building” in the village of Nabi Sheet and “destroyed it”.
Earlier on Sunday, Hezbollah said it had twice launched barrages of rockets towards the Israeli positions in the Golan Heights, near the borders with Syria and Lebanon.
The group also fired rockets into northern Israel on Friday night, and has exchanged near-daily cross-border fire with Israel since the start of the war with Hamas on October 7.
The violence, which has largely been contained to the border area, has so far killed at least 363 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also including at least 70 civilians, as well as 10 Israelis.
Israeli airport busy with Passover passengers
Israel’s main international airport, Ben Gurion, has been busy with Israelis hoping to travel for the upcoming Passover holiday. It is unclear if some of them are trying to leave the country before further escalation with Iran.
Some 52,000 passengers were expected to take 380 flights, but the cancellations by a number of airlines will restrict travel to about 30,000 people over the course of the day, according to the financial outlet The Marker.
Iran has suspended flights from its major airports until Monday, in anticipation of possible Israeli retaliation. The move could have been ordered to avoid a repeat of its 2020 aviation disaster, when Iranian air defences on high alert after bombing a US base in Iraq shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet after it took off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport.
The attack killed all 176 people on board and, after initially denying culpability, Iran later blamed the incident on “bad communication”.
British, French and German ambassadors summoned by Iran
Iran’s foreign ministry has summoned British, French and German ambassadors in Tehran to question what it referred to as their “irresponsible stance” regarding Iran’s strikes on Israel, according to state media.
Rishi Sunak earlier condemned the “reckless” strikes, which he said “risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard.”
President Macron also condemned the attack, as well as urging restraint. “I condemn in the strongest terms the unprecedented attack launched by Iran against Israel, which carries the risk of destabilising the region,” Macron said on X.
“This is an expression of my solidarity with the Israeli people and of the importance we attach to the security of Israel, of our partners and to regional stability,” he said. “France is working with its partners towards de-escalation and calls for restraint.”
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, regarded the Iranian attack as “irresponsible and unjustifiable,” saying “Iran risks a regional conflagration,” his spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said
“In these difficult times, Germany stands by Israel’s side,” added Hebestreit.
The director for western Europe at Iran’s foreign ministry accused the three countries of “double standards” as they opposed a Russian-drafted UN security council statement that would have condemned the attack on Iran’s consulate building compound in Syria.
“Iran’s military action against the Zionist regime’s bases is well within the framework of the right to legitimate defence stipulated in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and it is in response to a series of crimes, including the recent attack on the embassy compound in Syria,” the official added.
The UK, Germany and France will participate in a G7 video conference to discuss the strikes later today.
Relief in Tel Aviv ... for now
There is a sense of relief in Tel Aviv after a sleepless night for many, as the lights of most apartments stayed on throughout the night until the early hours of the morning (Gabrielle Weiniger writes). There are very few cars on the streets and a handful people walking their dogs, and while cafes are open. The beaches are quiet for such a sunny spring day and residents are staying close to home, many sleeping off the tension of the night before.
Children are already on break from school for the Jewish holiday of Passover, but their camp activities have been cancelled according to the updated instructions of home front command. The increased security measures, including restricted public gatherings that resulted in the cancellation of two concerts by Omar Adam, a popular Israeli pop singer, are set to stay in place until Monday night.
There is still a sense of apprehension as Tel Aviv awaits to see how its government is going to respond to Iran’s direct attack, but the drone activity heard loudly overnight has quietened and the typical hum of the city has been turned down a notch.
Israeli and US jets ‘shot down dozens of missiles and drones’
Most of the Iranian drones flying over Syria’s airspace during Tehran’s strikes overnight were downed by Israeli and US jets before reaching their targets in Israel, two western intelligence sources said on Sunday.
They told Reuters the aerial interceptions shot down dozens of missiles and drones fired by Iran that flew above southern Syria in the Deraa province, the Syrian Golan Heights and several locations in eastern Syria along the border with Iraq.
US air defences operated from a base in al-Tanf, Syria, as well as along the Jordanian border and in eastern Syria.
Jordan shoots down ‘flying objects’ in its airspace
Jordan said it had intercepted what it called “flying objects” that entered its airspace last night, in a reference to Iranian drones or missiles en route to Israel (Samer al-Atrush, Middle East Correspondent, writes).
The government statement avoided mention of Israel or Iran. The country, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, has a large population of citizens of Palestinian origin and refugees, and there have been large protests calling for an end to the treaty.
The Jordanian military “will confront anything that would expose the security and safety of the nation”, it said.
In another statement on Sunday, Bisher Khasawneh, the Jordanian prime minister, warned that further escalation would lead the region down “dangerous paths”.
There have been fears that the war in Gaza could destabilise the key American ally with a precarious economy. Jordan’s King, Abdullah II, travelled to Washington in February to lobby unsuccessfully for a quick end to the war.
Help Ukraine stop missiles like Israel, Zelensky pleads
President Zelensky and others have argued last night’s attack against Israel proves that Ukraine needs more air defences against Russia’s ongoing attacks, which also use Iranian-made Shahed explosive drones as well as cruise missiles (Aliide Naylor writes).
“The world has everything it needs to stop any missiles, Shaheds and other means of terror,” Zelensky said on Sunday.
With more international support, he added, “Ukraine can prevent Russian terror, can protect its own lives, the lives of Europe and other regions of the world from the spread of evil.”
Overnight, Ukraine successfully shot down 10 Shahed-type drones that Russia launched from Kursk region (550km south of Moscow) towards Ukraine. Four C-300 or C-400 missiles launched from Russia-occupied Donetsk.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief cautioned on Saturday that their situation on the front lines had recently “deteriorated significantly”, with the area surrounding the eastern Ukrainian city Chasiv Yar under “constant fire”.
“We need the support of our partners,” Zelensky reiterated.
Carl Bildt, the former Swedish prime minister and co-chairman of the European Council on Foreign Relations, also noted that “the attack on [Israel] tonight was of a magnitude that [Ukraine] suffers on a fairly regular basis. Same drones. Similar missiles. Week after week. Month after month”.
Iran warns US against military co-operation with Israel
Iran has sent a message to the US warning against co-operation with Israel in any military operation against Tehran.
Tehran communicated its message to the US through the Swiss embassy, which handles US interests in Iran in the absence of diplomatic relations, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
President Raisi of Iran sent a message praising Iran’s Revolutionary Guard for launching the attack, saying it had taught a lesson to the “Zionist regime”. He also warned that “any new adventure against the interests of the Iranian nation would be met with a heavier and regretful response from the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Iranian state TV broadcast interviews with residents in the streets who praised the Iranian attack on Israel and thanked the Iranian military.
World leaders call for restraint from both sides
Several governments have called on Iran and Israel to avoid further escalation.
Russia expressed its desire for all parties to exercise restraint and expressed “extreme concern over another dangerous escalation in the region”. Moscow, which has close ties to Iran, noted that Tehran had said the attack was made within the right to self defence after a suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
The foreign ministry of the United Arab Emirates also expressed concern of the “Middle East situation” and called for an end to escalation.
China’s foreign ministry urged restraint, characterising the attack as “the latest spillover of the Gaza conflict”. It called for a ceasefire as demanded by a recent UN security council resolution, and added: “The conflict must end now. China calls on the international community, especially countries with influence, to play a constructive role for the peace and stability of the region.”
Egypt’s foreign ministry warned of the “risk of the regional expansion of the conflict”, and added that Egypt would be “in direct contact with all parties to the conflict to try and contain the situation”.
The Saudi foreign ministry called on “all parties to exercise utmost restraint and spare the region and its peoples from the dangers of war”.
It went on to urge the UN security council “to assume its responsibility towards maintaining international peace and security”.
G7 leaders will meet later today to discuss the conflict.
Iran seizes Portuguese vessel ‘linked to Israel’ in Strait of Hormuz
Iranian commandos descended from a helicopter and seized a Portuguese-flagged vessel as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz in a separate attack on Saturday.
The container ship MSC Aries, was boarded and hijacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates because it was “linked to Israel”, according to Iranian state media.
The ship’s operator MSC is affiliated to a company run by Eyal Ofer, the Israeli billionaire.
“We regret to confirm that MSC Aries … has been boarded by Iranian authorities via helicopter as she passed the Strait of Hormuz” the group said in a statement. “She has 25 crew onboard, and we are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their wellbeing, and safe return of the vessel.”
US embassy in Jerusalem lifts shelter order as ‘threat diminishes’
The US embassy in Jerusalem has lifted its shelter order for government employees and their family members.
It issued a statement saying that the “threat of drone and/or missile barrages has diminished”.
“However, the previous travel restrictions on US government employees and their family members remain in place. Personal travel is limited to travel within and between Tel Aviv (including Herzliya, Netanya, and Even Yehuda), Jerusalem, and Be’er Sheva,” it continued.
“The US embassy will continue to closely monitor the security environment. Schools across Israel remain closed today, April 14. Many flights have been cancelled or delayed, and travellers are encouraged to check with the airline on the status of their flight. Land border crossings, including Allenby Bridge crossing, are open.”
Sunak intent on de-escalating crisis, says health secretary
The prime minister will attend a call between G7 leaders later today as the UK government concentrates its efforts into de-escalation in the Middle East, the health secretary has said.
Victoria Atkins told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that Rishi Sunak was kept updated throughout the night and has already had calls this morning after holding a Cobra meeting on Friday.
She said: “All of our efforts at the moment are on de-escalating this. We do not want a miscalculation or an escalation in events because we know that that will take its toll.”
Atkins refused to comment on the extent to which RAF planes have been involved in protecting Israel from the Iranian attack.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “We strongly condemn this attack by Iran on Israel, this reckless decision. It is really important that everyone is working hard to prevent further escalation.”
She refused to comment on whether Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, was consulted before Royal Air Force jets were scrambled.
“What is important is that action is taken to prevent Iranian strikes taking place,” she said. “This is about Israel’s security, and also the security of Jordan and Iraq. It’s about the security of everybody who lives in all countries across the Middle East.”
Tel Aviv ‘calm and quiet’ as Passover approaches — BBC
Lyse Doucet, the BBC correspondent based in Tel Aviv, told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg about the mood in Israel this morning: “It’s calm. Last night it was announced that schools would be shut and there would be no gatherings of over 1,000 people. Israel is heading towards Passover, so many shops are closed anyway.”
The Jewish holiday of Passover, starting on April 22, is one of the three pilgrimage festivals that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt.
Doucet continued: “This is a country that is prepared for war … and where people have great confidence in their armed forces. But many people are at edge, many people are said to be staying at home. They know this is a moment fraught with risk.”
‘We are used to having 20 seconds to get to shelters’
Israeli residents reported hearing wailing sirens and heavy thuds and bangs from aerial interceptions of explosive drones overnight.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said sirens would sound in any threatened areas and that its defences were poised to deal with the drones.
“We are used to having around 20 seconds to get to shelters when missiles come in. Here, [in Israel] the warning comes hours ahead of time. It naturally raises the anxiety level among the Israeli public,” said Nir Dvori, a Channel 12 TV correspondent, on social media.
The IDF told residents of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to stay close to bomb shelters due to possible impact from drone strikes.
Mission complete, says Iranian military
Iran’s military said this morning that the country’s drone and missile attack on Israel had “achieved all its objectives”.
“Operation Honest Promise … was completed successfully from last night to this morning and achieved all its objectives”, Mohammad Bagheri, the Iranian armed forces’ chief of staff, told state TV.
Bagheri said the retaliatory attack targeted an “intelligence centre” and the airbase from which Tehran says the Israeli F-35 jets took off to strike the Damascus consulate on April 1.
“Both these centres were significantly destroyed and put out of order,” he said, though Israel maintains that the attack only resulted in minor damage.
“We see this operation as complete, and this operation has ended in our opinion,” Bagheri said.
“There is no intention to continue this operation,” he said, calling on Israel to avoid taking further action against Iran which according to Bagheri would result in a “much bigger” response.
The army chief also warned the United States against aiding any Israeli action against Iran.
“We sent a message to America through the Swiss embassy that if it cooperates with Israel in their next potential actions, their bases will not be secure,” he added.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief, Hossein Salami, hailed what he called “a limited operation” that targeted Israeli “capabilities that were used to attack our embassy”.
Salami added it was “more successful than expected”.
He reiterated warnings of a “counterattack” if Israel targeted Iranian interests or individuals.
Iranians celebrate attack in Palestine Square
Hundreds of Iranians gathered in Tehran’s Palestine Square last night waving Iranian and Palestinian flags to celebrate the military action against Israel.
On Telegram, pro-Iranian accounts shared videos they claimed were shot in western Iran showing the night sky with the distinctive buzzing noise made by Shahed drones. The drones have a range of about 1,500 miles but travel slowly, at about 100mph. Iran later fired cruise missiles to add to the barrage.
The Houthi rebels in Yemen also launched drones while Lebanon’s Hezbollah fired rockets at Israeli positions in the annexed Golan Heights around the same time, as well as a second volley hours later.
Tehran’s official IRNA news agency said the attack had dealt “heavy blows” to an airbase in the Negev desert, but the Israeli army said there had only been minor damage.
Tehran intent on ‘sowing chaos’, says Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak has condemned last night’s attack in “the strongest terms”, saying: “These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard.”
“The UK will continue to stand up for Israel’s security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed.”
Lord Cameron, the foreign secretary, added: “The UK calls on the Iranian regime to stop this serious escalation, which is in no one’s interest.”
‘Together we shall win’ — Netanyahu says military is ready for anything
Netanyahu posted a short message on Twitter/X: “We intercepted, we repelled, together we shall win.”
On Saturday, Netanyahu convened the war cabinet and said the military was “ready for any scenario”.
He said in a televised address: “Citizens of Israel, in recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran. Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The state of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong.”
He thanked allies, including the US and Britain, for “standing alongside” Israel. He added: “We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination.”
The United Nations security council said it would hold an emergency meeting on Sunday, at Israel’s request.
Biden speaks to Netanyahu, condemns Iranian aggression
President Biden spoke by phone with Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, after the attack.
He also issued a statement condemning Iran’s actions, and said: “At my direction, to support the defence of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our service members, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles.
“Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks — sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel. Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to co-ordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack. My team will engage with their counterparts across the region.”
Attack was retaliation, Iran confirms
Iran confirmed the drone and missile attack was launched against Israel in retaliation for an airstrike on its consulate building in Damascus earlier this month which killed seven of its Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals.
Initially a wave of explosive Shahed drones was launched, followed by ballistic missiles.
Both the US and Israel had warned in recent days that the reprisals were imminent.
Iran cited Article 51 of the UN charter, which grants member states the right to legitimate self-defence, and warned against any US intervention. The country’s mission to the UN wrote on X: “Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus.
“The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US MUST STAY AWAY!”
Britain scrambles jets
Britain scrambled jets after the Iranian regime sent a swarm of drones towards Israel in an unprecedented attack (Larisa Brown, Defence Editor, writes).
Britain said it had sent “additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tanks to the region” to discourage escalation and that the aircraft would “intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required”. Both Rishi Sunak and Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton issued statements criticising Iran’s “reckless” actions.
Defence sources said there was not a joint operation with the US and Israel, however the UK assets back-filled US capabilities by replacing their assets over Iraq and Syria so the US jets could take a more active part in tackling the Iranian threats.
“Given we were in the region we were also permitted to shoot down incoming airborne threats”, said a defence source. “We will continue to co-operate closely with our regional partners in the interest of deescalation.”
