Iran missile and drone attack on Israel – what we know so far
Most of the missiles launched by Iran were intercepted outside Israel’s borders, while a limited number fell inside the country’s territory, IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee has said. He said that the total number of aerial units launched from Iran was about 200 and there were reports that one child had been injured.
US president Joe Biden said Iran was aided by its proxy forces in Yemen, Syria and Iraq. He praised the work of US military personnel in helping to bring down “nearly all” of the drones and missiles fired by Iran. Biden cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to return to the White House to meet his national security team. He has said he will convened a meeting of G7 leaders on Sunday.
The US and UK reportedly helped Israel shoot down Iranian drones over Jordan, Iraq and Syria in an effort to blunt the attack and prevent an uncontrollable escalation. “US forces in the region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel,” a senior US defence official told reporters.
Royal Air Force fighter jets and refuelling aircraft were also involved, taking off from bases in Cyprus. Their role, according to the UK Ministry of Defence, was to fill in for the US air force in the sorties against the Islamic State normally carried out over Iraq and north-eastern Syria, but also to intercept Iranian drones if they came into the UK area of operations.
Reuters quoted two regional security sources as saying Jordanian jets had downed dozens of Iranian drones flying across northern and central Jordan heading towards Israel.
World leaders have condemned Iran’s attack with regional powers including Saudi Arabia and Egypt called for restraint. UN secretary general António Guterres said: “I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East.”
The UN security council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday, at the request of Israel’s ambassador to the UN, the council’s president said in a statement to media.