BRITISH RAF jets shot down some of the 300 Iranian drones and missiles that rained over Israel on Saturday night.
The widely-anticipated reprisal attack against Israel is feared to have pushed the region to the brink of all-out war.
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Air sirens wailed in Jerusalem last night as explosions were heard in the skies above and terrified residents ran for shelter.
About 300 explosive drones and cruise missiles were fired by Iran and its proxy groups in Lebanon and Yemen, in what was its first direct attack on its arch-enemy Israel.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said 99 per cent of the missiles were intercepted by its air defences – with the help of the US navy and Britain’s RAF, whose forces downed drones over the Iraq-Syrian border.
RAF pilots shot down “a number” of attack drones, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed on Sunday.
But the IDF said a small number of the ground-to-ground Iranian missiles did strike Israel, wounding a girl and causing minor damage to a military base in the south.
UK defence secretary Grant Shapps condemned Iran‘s “senseless” attack, insisting it “serves no benefit other than to further undermine regional security”.
He said several RAF jets had been deployed to the region to “intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required.”
PM Rishi Sunak said on Sunday that the “barrage of missiles and attack drones” launched by Iran across the Middle East was “a dangerous and unnecessary escalation”.
He added: “The RAF sent additional planes to the region as part of our existing operations to counter Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
“I can confirm that our planes did shoot down a number of Iranian attack drones.”
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu convened his war cabinet ahead of the drones’ arrival.
Israelis were warned the drones would take around eight hours to reach the country — at 2am local time, midnight in the UK.
Rear Admiral Hagari said: “We have prepared for diverse scenarios in advance.
“In order to intercept these launches, we have the circles of protection from both the navy and the air force on several layers.
“We are going to try to prevent them from reaching Israeli territory, that is our task.
“If they do enter Israeli airspace, then you will hear sirens and alarms wherever these threats enter and we will intercept them.
“I remind you — it doesn’t matter from where the threat is launched, if an alarm sounds, you must enter the shelter and stay there for ten minutes.
“We will update you in real-time if you need to stay there longer.”
Jordan shut down airspace with several planes diverted before the attacks were announced by the IDF.
Several airlines announced they were halting flights over Iran and Israel amid safety fears.
US president Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to Delaware to return to Washington for an urgent meeting with his security team to discuss the crisis.
American warships shot down some of the weapons outside Israeli territory but President Biden already told Netanyahu that the US would not participate in any offensive operation against Iran.
The Foreign Office had advised Brits to flee Lebanon following a drone blitz on the north of Israel by Hamas and Iran ally Hezbollah.
Guidance on Israel is being monitored with officials ready to declare a “do not travel” alert if the situation escalates.
The drones are understood to have been launched from the Kermanshah province of Iran in the northeast of the country, some 750 miles from Israeli soil.
One of the officials said the weapons were expected to target Israeli government sites, not civilians or religious sites.
Iran had vowed to take revenge on Israel after accusing it of orchestrating a strike on its Syrian consulate in Damascus earlier this month which killed 13 people.
That included senior military commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi, although the IDF has repeatedly denied being behind the attack.
Last night, Mr Sunak said: “I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime’s reckless attack against Israel. 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.”
ISRAEL ‘PREPARED’
Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: “Iran’s reckless attacks on Israel will only further inflame tensions in the Middle East.
“The UK calls on the Iranian regime to stop this serious escalation, which is in no one’s interest.”
Earlier on Saturday Mr Netanyahu had said Israel was prepared for a “direct attack from Iran” following its threats of retaliation for a deadly air strike on its Damascus consulate.
“Our defence systems are deployed, we are prepared for any scenario, both in defence and attack,” he said in a televised statement, adding that Israel had the backing of the United States and “many” countries.
Israel had also warned that Iran would suffer the “consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further”.
The warning came after Iran seized a container ship linked to Israel in the Gulf, and as Israel announced it was closing schools nationwide for security reasons.
Royal Marines were said to be preparing a “Dunkirk-esque” evacuation plan to rescue remaining Brits trapped in Iran’s terrifying war path.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted his country is “prepared for any scenario” as they continue to fight in Gaza.
On Sunday morning, Iran’s military said that the country’s drone and missile attack on Israel had “achieved all its objectives”.
Mohammad Bagheri, the Iranian armed forces’ chief of staff, told state TV. “Operation Honest Promise … was completed successfully from last night to this morning and achieved all its objectives.”
Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard
Rishi Sunak
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, despite Israel claiming the attack only resulted in minor damage.
“We see this operation as complete, and this operation has ended in our opinion,” Bagheri said.
He added: “There is no intention to continue this operation.”
Bagheri has also called on Israel to avoid taking further action against Iran, which would result in a “much bigger” response.
Iran’s armed forces chief also warned the United States that its bases “would not be secure” if it aids any Israeli response.
There are fears that any battle between Iran and Israel could quickly turn nuclear and spark World War Three.
A disturbing war simulation crafted by military and security experts set out a chilling step-by-step potential scenario which begins with missile strikes – like those seen this weekend.
According to the outline, Iran and its terror proxies will use powerful long-range, high-precision rockets to hit key Israeli targets.
Israel will then hit back and fight off Iranian proxies near its border while striking Iran by air.
Tel Aviv will then appeal to the US for intervention, unsuccessfully, and find itself isolated in its fight against Iran.
It will try and fail to make Iran surrender with a non-lethal nuclear detonation, before launching 50 nuclear weapons towards Iran.
Iran will then unleash its own nuclear ambush against an air base with US troops, the war game simulation closing out with a major conflict involving Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.
The West would also likely become embroiled in a nuclear stalemate between Israel and Iran.
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