RAF jets downed attack drones in Iranian assault on Israel

Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of UK

RAF jets shot down “a number of” Iranian drones after Tehran launched its unprecedented attack on Israel, Rishi Sunak has said.

The Prime Minister UK condemned the strikes as “dangerous and unnecessary”, warning that the fallout in regional stability would have been “hard to overstate” if they had been successful.

The UK joined the US overnight into Sunday in deploying warplanes to help intercept missiles after Iran launched its first direct assault on Israeli soil.

Speaking to journalists in Downing Street on Sunday, Mr Sunak called for “calm heads to prevail” in the aftermath.

He said: “I can confirm that our planes did shoot down a number of Iranian attack drones. I want to pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of our pilots flying into the face of danger to protect civilians.

“If this attack had been successful, the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate, and we stand by the security of Israel and the wider region, which is of course important for our security here at home.”

The PM is joining other G7 leaders for urgent talks this afternoon amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike.

Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron said he had “formally condemned” the attack and made clear Tehran must “stop these reckless attacks” in a call with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, on Sunday.

Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and at least 120 ballistic missiles in an assault that set off air raid sirens across the country.

By Sunday morning, Tehran said the attack was over and Israel reopened its air space.

The assault was launched in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month, which killed two Iranian generals.

It is the first direct military attack launched by Tehran on Israel, despite long-standing enmity dating back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. - ABC News via Yahoo News