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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Reged Ahmad (now), Maya Yang, Yohannes Lowe, Jessica Murray and Jonathan Yerushalmy (earlier)

G7 releases statement condemning Iran retaliatory attacks on Israel – as it happened

Israel Iran Daniel Hagari IDF Delaware

This blog is now closed.

But you can follow all of our latest developments at our new live blog here.

And you can see all of our coverage on the Israel-Gaza war and the wider Middle East crisis.

The Israel-Gaza war continues in the background behind wider regional conflict and tensions.

This is one of the latest images coming out of Gaza – a long line of Palestinians are seen as they try to make their way back north.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has discussed Iran’s attack on Israel in separate calls with his Jordanian, Saudi Arabian, Egyptian and Turkish counterparts, according to the US state department.

Blinken reiterated that the US does not seek escalation and will continue to support Israel’s defense, Reuters reports.

In his call with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, he also discussed the need to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza and achieve an immediate ceasefire that secures the release of all hostages, according to the state department.

US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday he would try to pass aid to Israel this week after Iran’s drone and missile attack.

Johnson is struggling to unify Republicans and avoid being ousted himself, recounted two failed attempts to pass standalone aid for Israel, Reuters reports.

“We’re going to try again this week, and the details of that package are being put together right now.

“We’re looking at the options, and all these supplemental issues,” Johnson told Fox News.

Johnson’s office declined to provide further details and he did not say whether the legislation would also include assistance for Ukraine and other allies.

Reged Ahmad here taking over from Maya Yang.

Summary

Here is where the day stands:

  • The Israel Defense Forces announced that it intercepted a UAV that approached Israel earlier this evening. In a post on X, the IDF wrote: “A Sa’ar 6-class corvette successfully intercepted a UAV that approached Israeli territory from the southeast using the ‘C-Dome’ Defense System earlier this evening.”

  • UN chief António Guterres called for maximum restraint on Sunday following Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel, Reuters reports. In a UN security council meeting, Guterres said: “The Middle East is on the brink. The people of the region are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict. Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate.”

  • Jordan’s prime minister Bisher Khasawneh said that escalation in the region would lead to “dangerous paths,” Reuters reports. Speaking to the Jordanian cabinet, Khasawneh said. “The army will respond to anything that will jeopardise the security and safety of the kingdom and the sanctity of its airspace and territory in the face of any danger from any party with all the available means.”

  • The G7 has released the following statement on Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel: “We, the leaders of the G7, unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel… We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security.”

  • Jordan has summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest against Iran’s comments which were regarded by Jordan as an inteference in the kingdom’s internal affairs, Reuters reports. Speaking to Jordan’s state-owned Mamlaka news outlet, Safadi referred to comments made by Iranian official media which warned that Jordan would be the next target in the event it cooperated with Israel in a showdown with Iran.

  • A senior Joe Biden administration official has told reporters on Sunday: “We are committed to defending Israel. We would not be a part of any response they do. This is a very consistent policy.” “Our aim is to deescalate regional tensions. We do not want a broader regional conflict. Our focus has been to contain this crisis,” the official added.

  • Iran’s action against Israel was a “legitimate act of self-defence,” Syria’s foreign minister Faisal Mekdad told his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a phone call on Sunday. Syrian state media SANA further reports: “It is a legitimate right to self-defense against this racist Zionist entity, which does not respect international law and will, nor the Charter of the United Nations.”

  • US air carrier United Airlines has canceled Sunday’s planned flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Tel Aviv following rising regional tensions, Reuters reports. The flight was set to take off from Newark at 3:20pm local time and land in Tel Aviv at 8:55am local time.

IDF says it intercepted UAV that approached Israel 'from the southeast'

The Israel Defense Forces announced that it intercepted a UAV that approached Israel earlier this evening.

In a post on X, the IDF wrote:

“A Sa’ar 6-class corvette successfully intercepted a UAV that approached Israeli territory from the southeast using the ‘C-Dome’ Defense System earlier this evening.’

British maritime security firm Ambrey said the IDF intercepted an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) nearby Eilat, Israel, stating that they assessed the UAV was launched from Yemen, Reuters reports.

Ambrey said they also observed unprecedented levels of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) interference off Eilat and neighbouring Aqaba, Jordan, on the same day.

“These were due to electronic warfare counter-measures,” the statement said.

UN chief: 'The Middle East is on the brink'

UN chief António Guterres called for maximum restraint on Sunday following Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel, Reuters reports.

In a UN security council meeting, Guterres said:

“The Middle East is on the brink. The people of the region are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict. Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate.”

Earlier this month, Israel killed a top Iranian commander, among other members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, in a strike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus.

Here are some images coming through the newswires from Gaza where Israeli forces have killed over 33,000 Palestinians since October while forcibly displacing approximately 2 million survivors across the strip:

The White House has released the following readout of Joe Biden’s Sunday phone call with Jordan’s King Abdullah:

“President Biden spoke today with His Majesty King Abdullah II about the situation in the Middle East.

President Biden strongly condemned the attack launched by Iran that also threatened Jordan and the Jordanian people. Both leaders noted that they continue to monitor the situation and will remain in close touch over the coming days.

They also discussed the situation in Gaza, and reaffirmed their cooperation to increase critical humanitarian assistance to Gaza and to find a path to end the crisis as soon as possible.”

Jordan's King Abdullah: Jordan 'won't be an arena for a regional war'

Jordan’s prime minister Bisher Khasawneh said that escalation in the region would lead to “dangerous paths,” Reuters reports.

Speaking to the Jordanian cabinet, Khasawneh said:

“There is need for all parties to act responsibly and exercise utmost degree of self restraint... and not be dragged towards any escalation that will no doubt have dangerous consequences…

The army will respond to anything that will jeopardise the security and safety of the kingdom and the sanctity of its airspace and territory in the face of any danger from any party with all the available means.”

In a phone call with US president Joe Biden on Sunday, Jordan’s King Abdullah also said that Jordan “won’t be an arena for a regional war” and said that any “escalation by Israel would only widen the circle of conflict.”

Palestinians continue to face Israeli attacks as Israel-Iran tensions escalate

With the world focused on the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran, Palestinians continue to face attacks by Israeli forces across the Gaza Strip.

In a series of posts on X, the Palestine Red Crescent Society showed its teams treating Palestinians injured by Israeli attacks in recent days:

Since last October, Israeli forces have killed over 33,600 Palestinians while displacing over 2 million survivors across the strip amid a widespread man-made famine as a result of Israeli aid restrictions.

The G7 has released the following statement on Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel:

“We, the leaders of the G7, unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel. Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. Israel, with the help of its partners, defeated the attack.

We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security.

With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided. We will continue to work to stabilize the situation and avoid further escalation. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives.

We will also strengthen our cooperation to end the crisis in Gaza, including by continuing to work towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas, and deliver increased humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need.”

Updated

Jordan has summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest against Iran’s comments which were regarded by Jordan as an inteference in the kingdom’s internal affairs, Reuters reports.

Speaking to Jordan’s state-owned Mamlaka news outlet, Safadi referred to comments made by Iranian official media which warned that Jordan would be the next target in the event it cooperated with Israel in a showdown with Iran.

A senior Joe Biden administration official has told reporters on Sunday: “We are committed to defending Israel. We would not be a part of any response they do. This is a very consistent policy.”

“Our aim is to deescalate regional tensions. We do not want a broader regional conflict. Our focus has been to contain this crisis,” the official added.

A senior US military official added:

“Israel has made clear to us they’re not looking for a significant escalation with Iran. That’s not what they’re looking for. They’re looking to protect themselves and defend themselves.”

Syria: Iran's attacks were a 'legitimate act of self-defence'

Iran’s action against Israel was a “legitimate act of self-defence,” Syria’s foreign minister Faisal Mekdad told his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a phone call on Sunday.

Syrian state media SANA further reports:

It is a legitimate right to self-defense against this racist Zionist entity, which does not respect international law and will, nor the Charter of the United Nations.

Mikdad denounced the negligent Western positions in the face of the massacres and inhuman actions of the Israeli entity.”

Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel comes two weeks after Israel killed a top Iranian commander in an attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria.

Ursula von der Leyen has joined western leaders in issuing a condemnation of Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel overnight.

In her statement, der Leyen said:

“We express our solidarity and support to the people of Israel. And reaffirm our commitment towards its security.”

She added that Iran’s actions “risk provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation and this has to be avoided.”

Charles Michel, president of the European Council, has met with G7 leaders following Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel overnight.

In a post on X, Michel wrote:

“With #G7 leaders, we unanimously condemned Iran’s unprecedented attack against Israel.

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.”

Here is UK prime minister Rishi Sunak addressing the Royal Air Force’s shoot-down of several Iranian drones overnight:

US air carrier United Airlines has canceled Sunday’s planned flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Tel Aviv following rising regional tensions, Reuters reports.

The flight was set to take off from Newark at 3:20pm local time and land in Tel Aviv at 8:55am local time.

Israel said it has an opportunity to form a strategic alliance after Iran’s drone and missile attacks were repelled.

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant 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.”

Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel came two weeks after Israel killed a top Iranian commander on its strike against the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

Bolivia's president warns of possible 'third world war' after Iran's attack on Israel

Latin American leaders and governments have voiced disquiet and apprehension over the Iranian strike on Israel and its potential consequences, with Bolivia’s president warning of a possible “third world war”.

“War is the worst way to resolve international conflicts … there are no winners in war, everyone loses, and the escalation of violence worldwide puts humanity at risk of disappearing,” the Bolivian leader Luis Arce tweeted, urging the UN secretary general to call an emergency meeting “to prevent this conflict escalating into a third world war”.

Mexico’s left-wing president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, also expressed fear the conflict could spread. “War is irrational, [a] synonym for suffering and death; it benefits no one, not even warmongering magnates and governors. Let’s support peace and universal brotherhood,” López Obrador tweeted.

Argentina’s right-wing president, Javier Milei, offered his “emphatic” support for Israel’s right to defend its sovereignty, “in particular against regimes which promote terror and seek to destroy western civilization”.

Brazil’s foreign ministry expressed “serious concern” over Iran’s drone and missile attacks and urged its citizens to avoid non-essential visits to the region.

“Brazil calls on all involved parties to exercise maximum restraint and urges the international community to marshal efforts towards avoiding an escalation,” it said in a statement.

Chile’s foreign ministry expressed “deep concern” over the attacks and the “serious escalation of tensions” in the region.

Iran’s main Latin American ally, Venezuela, did not condemn the attacks. In a statement, its foreign ministry blamed “the [worsening] situation of instability” in the region on the “genocide in Palestine and the irrationality of the Israeli regime, as well as the inaction of the United Nations”.

Colombia’s leftist president Gustavo Petro, a fierce critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, tweeted: “Israeli children will only sleep in peace when Palestinian children sleep in peace”.

Updated

Summary of the day so far...

  • Tehran has warned it will strike again with greater force if Israel or the US retaliate for the Iranian strike on Israel by more 300 drones and missiles on Saturday night. The air raids, the Islamic Republic’s first ever direct attack on the Israeli state, brought a years-long shadow war into the open and threatened to draw the region into a broader conflagration as Israel said it was considering its response.

  • However, the attack, mostly launched from inside Iran, caused only modest damage in Israel as most of the drones were shot down with the help of the US, Britain and Jordan. An air force base in southern Israel was hit, but continued to operate as normal and a seven-year-old child was seriously hurt by shrapnel. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said that 99% of the launches had been intercepted.

  • 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 told Reuters.

  • Benny Gantz, a member of the war cabinet, said that Israel will exact a price from Iran in response to its mass missile and drone attack when the time is right. His comments came ahead of a war cabinet meeting alongside Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the country’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant.

  • 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.

  • Iran informed Turkey in advance of its planned operation against Israel, a Turkish diplomatic source has told Reuters. The source also said that the US conveyed to Iran via Ankara that its operation must be “within certain limits”. These reports come after Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, said in a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Tehran that Iran had informed the US that its attacks against Israel will be “limited” and for self-defence only.

  • John Kirby, the White House’s top national security spokesperson, told ABC’s This Week programme on Sunday that the US will continue to help Israel defend itself, but does not want war with Iran. “We don’t seek escalated tensions in the region. We don’t seek a wider conflict,” Kirby said. News outlet Axios reported that Joe Biden, the US president, had told Netanyahu that he would oppose an Israeli counterattack against Iran and that the prime minister should “take the win”.

  • Jordan’s prime minister, Bisher Khasawneh, warned that any escalation in the region would lead to “dangerous paths”. Countries including the UK, Spain, the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and China, have called for restraint amid fears of a regional escalation of conflict across the Middle East. Iran’s foreign ministry has summoned the ambassadors of the UK, France, and Germany to question what it referred to as their “irresponsible stance” regarding Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel, the semi-official Iranian Labour news agency reported.

  • Major airlines across the Middle East, including Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways, announced they would resume some of their operations in the region after cancelling or rerouting some flights in response to Iran’s attack on Israel. Israel said it had reopened its airspace as of 7:30am local time on Sunday morning, with Beirut airport also reopening this morning. Several Iranian airports, including Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International, however, have cancelled flights until Monday.

Updated

Biden tells Netanyahu he would oppose any Israeli counterattack against Iran -report

News outlet Axios has reported that Joe Biden, the US president, had told Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that he would oppose an Israeli counterattack against Iran and that the prime minister should “take the win”.

The White House national security spokesperson, John Kirby, did not deny that Biden had warned Netanyahu that the US would not take part in any Israeli counter-strike against Iranian territory when he was asked earlier.

He told CNN:

The president wanted to congratulate prime minister Netanyahu for an incredible military achievement. The prime minister was very grateful for the support that President Biden offered and demonstrated in supporting Israel, and the President made it clear that the self-defence of Israel is something we take seriously and we will continue to take that seriously.

Updated

Iran informed Turkey in advance of its operation against Israel - source

Iran informed Turkey in advance of its planned operation against Israel, a Turkish diplomatic source has told Reuters.

The source also said that the US conveyed to Iran via Ankara that its operation must be “within certain limits”.

These reports come after Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, said in a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Tehran that Iran had informed the US that its attacks against Israel will be “limited” and for self-defence only.

John Kirby, the White House’s top national security spokesperson, told ABC’s This Week programme on Sunday that the US will continue to help Israel defend itself, but does not want war with Iran.

“We don’t seek escalated tensions in the region. We don’t seek a wider conflict,” Kirby said.

The German government has defended its decision to shut down a conference of pro-Palestinian activists on Friday which aimed to throw light on what its organisers referred to as Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.

Interior minister Nancy Faeser said that it had been correct for the police to have intervened and brought the event to a premature close, just two hours after it had started.

Police cut the power and called the three-day event closed on Friday after a speaker who had been banned from entering Germany on grounds of hate speech, appeared via video link.

Salman Abu Sitta, who had penned an essay in January expressing sympathy for the Hamas terrorists who carried out the 7 October attacks, had begun to address the conference when police reportedly took to the stage and pulled the plug on the electricity supply.

Another main speaker, Ghassan Abu Sittah, a British Palestinian doctor, who was recently appointed rector of Glasgow University, was earlier denied entry into Germany after landing by plane at Berlin’s airport.

He said that preventing him from participating in the event was the equivalent of “silencing a witness to genocide before the ICJ which adds to Germany’s complicity in the ongoing massacre”, referring to Germany’s supplying of weapons to Israel and the legal cases filed against Germany to the International Court of Justice over its support for Israel.

The former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis was among the speakers due to address the congress.

Faeser said on social media: “It is right and proper that the Berlin police intervened firmly at the so-called Palestinian Congress.”

Ahead of the event she had told the hundreds of police drafted in to oversee the event to clamp down if any hate speech was heard at the congress.

Berlin police said their decision to close the event was triggered by “a speaker …who was subject to a ban on political activity.”

It added there had been “a risk of a speaker being put on screen who in the past made antisemitic and violence-glorifying remarks. The gathering was ended and banned on Saturday and Sunday”.

The event’s location was kept secret until Friday morning amid fears of a backlash from opponents. About 800 tickets to it were sold, organisers said.

Donald Trump responded to Iran’s Saturday attack on Israel by reposting a 2018 all-caps tweet in which he threatened the president of Iran and said the US would not stand for “DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH.”

“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!” read the 2018 tweet.

Trump posted a screenshot on his social media platform, Truth Social, of the Florida senator Rick Scott praising the message.

You can read the full story by my colleague, Sam Levine, here:

Israel will exact price from Iran 'when time is right for us', war cabinet minister says

Israel will exact a price from Iran in response to its mass missile and drone attack when the time is right, war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has said.

“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.

Israel’s war cabinet, made up of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and Gantz, was due to meet at 3.30pm (12.30 GMT) to discuss a response to the attack.

The Iranian government earlier hailed its unprecedented direct strike on Israel as a success and said that as far as it was concerned the military operation was now over, saying it had struck most of the military targets it had intended as a reprisal for the Israeli assault on Iran’s consulate in Damascus on 1 April.

An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said 99% of the more than 300 missiles and drones were intercepted from Iran’s attack on Saturday.

Updated

Major Middle East airlines to resume flights after Iran's attack on Israel

Major airlines across the Middle East announced they would resume operations in the region after cancelling or rerouting some flights as Iran launched its attack on Israel on Saturday evening.

Emirates Airlines, which had cancelled some of its fights and rerouted others due to temporary airspace closures in the region, was resuming scheduled operations to and from Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq from Sunday afternoon, a spokesperson said.

Qatar Airways also resumed services to Amman, Beirut and Baghdad, it said in a post on X, while Etihad Airways was planning to operate scheduled passenger and cargo services between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv, Amman and Beirut starting from Monday.

Etihad warned that as services return to normal after the temporary closure of airspace across parts of the Middle East, “there may still be a risk of some knock-on disruption across Monday 15”.

“Some of our flights have been affected by the temporary closure of a number of airspaces in the region,” a statement from the United Arab Emirates’ Fly Dubai was quoted on state news agency WAM as saying.

Several Iranian airports, including Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International, have cancelled flights until Monday, Iranian state media reported on Sunday (see post at 11:05 for more details).

A row has flared in Germany after the vice-president of the Bundestag or parliament, Aydan Özoğuz, posted a tweet in response to the Iranian rocket attack on Israel, in which she appeared to blame Israel.

“Why must this situation be provoked further?” she wrote. “The bombing of the Iranian embassy has further endangered the Middle East.”

She later erased her tweet due to “everyone attacking each other” in “such a heated situation”, she wrote in a new tweet.

Reactions to the Social Democrat’s original tweet were swift, including from opposition CDU member Matthias Hauer, who wrote: “Shabby. Unworthy of a vice-president of the German Bundestag. That’s what Mrs Özoğuz comes up with when Iran attacks Israel, one of our closest allies?”

Amid calls for her resignation, with references to the fact that her brothers are known Islamists, Volker Beck, president of the German-Israeli Society and a Green party MP tweeted: “Israel was attacked by Hamas on 7.10. Israel is being attacked on an almost daily basis by Hizbollah. Israel was attacked last night by Iran. And you say Israel is the one that has done the provoking? Did your brothers hack your account?”

The Dutch government has advised against all travel to Israel due to the uncertain security situation after the overnight missile and drone attack by Iran.

“Iran and a number of allies carried out airstrikes against Israel with missiles and drones. It cannot be ruled out that further attacks may follow,” the foreign ministry said in an updated travel advisory.

Updated

Agence France-Presse (AFP) has spoken to some Israelis in Jerusalem about how they feel after Iran’s overnight missile and drone attack.

“The situation is really frightening because we are afraid of what happens and all of the bombing and aircraft that are coming,” said 48-year-old Ayala Salant, a resident of Jerusalem.

“However, we are very, very happy with the alliance that helped us because most of the aircraft and missiles have not arrived to Israel. We hope that there will be a stop to this ongoing escalation soon.”

Yishai Levi, 67, said that Israel “once again proved technological … superiority, and handled it in an impressive manner”.

Sharin Avraham, 31, said “fighting against a state is a different war” and required a response from Israel.

“Iran’s attack should not go quietly,” she told AFP. “We have to respond because Iran is a country.”

“The state of Israel needs to show it that we are strong and this is not something that can simply pass. We are not the world’s punching bag.”

Gil, a 30-year-old Jerusalem resident who only gave his first name, said there was “no great fear”.

“It was nice to see that the west did stand by us and helped with interceptions,” he said.

But in northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon, residents told AFP they were afraid.

“We are not on an island. There are people around us that we fear for,” said Waheb Khalayla, 68, from the Galilee town of Majd al-Krum.

“We are afraid of a war breaking out, it will affect daily life and economic livelihood,” the retired nurse said.

Updated

Peter Lerner, an IDF spokesperson, gave CNN the latest estimate of the number of drones and missiles Iran fired at Israel, as 12o ballistic missiles, 30 cruise missiles and 170 explosive drones.

“There was some very small amounts of weaponry fired from the Houthis. They weren’t successful either. And Hezbollah in the course of the hours of this morning, have also conducted some attacks against us. We have retaliated against those Hezbollah positions this morning as well,” Lt Col Lerner said.

The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has called for a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers on Tuesday to discuss Iran’s attacks against Israel.

“Our objective is to contribute to de-escalation and security of the region” Borrell wrote on X.

Borrell said in an earlier post that the bloc condemned the Iranian attack and called it an “unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security”.

Updated

The White House national security spokesperson, John Kirby, was on CNN this morning to talk about the aftermath of the Iranian attack on Israel and on the possibility of a broader war in its wake. He denied it was inevitable.

“We don’t believe it is and nor do we believe it has to be,” Kirby said.

The president - 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.

When it was put to Kirby that Joe Biden had warned Benjamin Netanyahu that the US would not take part in any Israeli counter-strike against Iranian territory, Kirby did not deny it but said:

“The president wanted to congratulate Prime Minister Netanyahu for an incredible military achievement. The prime minister was very grateful for the support that President Biden offered and demonstrated in supporting Israel, and the President made it clear that the self defence of Israel is something we take seriously and we will continue to take that seriously.”

Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, has told his Iranian counterpart in a phone call that he does not want further escalation of tension in the region after Iran’s drone and missile attack against Israel.

Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, told Fidan that its “retaliatory operation” against Israel had ended, adding that Iran would not launch a new operation unless it was attacked, Turkish diplomatic sources said.

Updated

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has condemned Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel, calling for efforts to prevent a further escalation in Middle East conflict.

“Iran’s actions threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russia’s actions threaten a larger conflict, and the obvious collaboration between the two regimes in spreading terror must face a resolute and united response from the world,” he wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

He said the sound of drones – “a tool of terror” - is the same in the skies over the Middle East and Europe, and called for direct action, saying: “The world cannot wait for discussions to go on. Words do not stop drones and do not intercept missiles. Only tangible assistance does.

“We must strengthen security and resolutely counter all those who want to make terror a new normal.”

Iran has supplied thousands of Shahed kamikaze drones to Russia throughout its invasion of Ukraine. These have been used to exhaust Ukrainian air defences and hit infrastructure far from the front lines.

Zelenskiy repeated his call for the US Congress to pass a stalled bill which would provide billions of dollars of military aid to Ukraine and Israel.

“It is critical that the United States Congress make the necessary decisions to strengthen America’s allies at this critical time,” he said.

Updated

Yemen’s armed Houthi movement said that Iran’s attack on Israel was “a legitimate act” in response to a suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on 1 April.

A Houthi spokesperson added that the Yemeni group had been in “direct confrontation” with Israel since 7 October, by attacking the southern Israeli port of Eilat with missiles and drones, and by preventing Israeli ships from sailing through the Red Sea.

For more context, read our explainer on who the Houthis are and their relationship with Iran and the war in Gaza:

Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, said its neighbours were notified of its retaliatory strikes on Israel 72 hours in advance.

“About 72 hours prior to our operations, we informed our friends and neighbours in the region that Iran’s response against Israel was certain, legitimate and irrevocable,” Amirabdollahian said at a press conference.

Iran's attack on Israel has taken the Middle East to the 'edge of a precipice', Germany's foreign minister says

Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said Iran’s overnight attack on Israel 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 the spiralling tensions needed to end, AP reports.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz denounced a “grave escalation” and underlined Berlin’s “solidarity” with Israel.

He told reporters during a visit to China that “we cannot but call on everyone, in particular Iran, to not continue along this path.”

Updated

Iran says it informed the US its attacks on Israel will be 'limited'

Iran informed the US that its attacks against Israel will be “limited” and for self-defence, Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, said in a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Tehran on Sunday.

Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles early on Sunday in an attack that set off air raid sirens across the country (see earlier post at 11:53 for more details).

The assault was launched in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria at the start of April which killed two Iranian generals.

It marks the first time a direct military assault has been launched by Tehran on Israel despite enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Updated

Sunak confirms UK jets shot down a number of Iranian drones and calls attack a 'dangerous and unnecessary escalation'

RAF jets shot down “a number of” attack drones after Iran launched its attack on Israel, the UK’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has confirmed.

Sunak is set to join other G7 leaders on a call on Sunday amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike.

Speaking to journalists in Downing Street, he said if Iran’s attack on Israel been successful “the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate”, as he confirmed RAF pilots shot down “a number of” drones.

Sunak called Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel a “dangerous and unnecessary escalation”, which he says he condemns in the “strongest terms”.

He concluded by urging “calm heads to prevail” and said he would be working with allies to “de-escalate the situation”.

Britain has offered staunch support for Israel, with the UK’s Ministry of Defence saying RAF warplanes in Iraq and Syria had been deployed to intercept “any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions”.

Updated

Summary of the day so far...

  • Tehran has warned it will strike again with greater force if Israel or the US retaliate for the Iranian strike on Israel by more 300 drones and missiles on Saturday night. The air raids, the Islamic Republic’s first ever direct attack on the Israeli state, brought a years-long shadow war into the open and threatened to draw the region into a broader conflagration as Israel said it was considering its response.

  • Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said that 99% of the launches had been intercepted, declaring that “the Iranian attack was foiled”. While 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles were shot down before they reached Israel, a few of the 110 ballistic missiles did get through, the Israeli army said, with 12 people suffering injuries. Among the injured was a young girl near the southern Israeli town of Arad who was in intensive care, according to the medical centre that received her.

  • 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 told Reuters. The Jordanian air force also intercepted some of the projectiles over its territory, and the UK’s Royal Air Force said it was contributing fighters and refuelling planes, mostly to fill in for the US in conducting aerial patrols over Iraq and Syria as part of its campaign against the so-called Islamic State.

  • As of Sunday morning, Israeli officials indicated no decision had been made about a response to the Iranian attack, as an official said any potential response would be discussed at the war cabinet meeting. Israel’s war cabinet, comprising Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and Benny Gantz, is due to meet at 3:30pm (1230 GMT) to discuss a response to the attack.

  • 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.

  • Jordan’s prime minister, Bisher Khasawneh, warned that any escalation in the region would lead to “dangerous paths”. Other countries including the UK, Spain, the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and China, have called for restraint amid fears of a regional escalation of conflict across the Middle East. Iran’s foreign ministry has summoned the ambassadors of the UK, France, and Germany to question what it referred to as their “irresponsible stance” regarding Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel, the semi-official Iranian Labour news agency reported.

  • Several Iranian airports, including Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International, have cancelled flights until Monday, Iranian state media reported on Sunday. Domestic flights from Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport and airports in Shiraz, Isfahan, Bushehr, Kerman, Ilam, and Sanandaj have also been cancelled until Monday morning, according to Iran’s Airports and Air Navigation Company. Israel, however, said it had reopened its airspace as of 7:30am local time on Sunday morning, with Beirut airport also reopening this morning.

  • A growing chorus of US congressional leaders are calling for the supplemental aid bill to be passed, with US Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer saying it was the clearest way to help Israel. The $95bn supplemental spending bill includes $14bn for Israel, in addition to $60bn for Ukraine and support for Taiwan. It was passed by the Senate with 70% support in February but has been blocked in the House.

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Pope Francis has made a “pressing appeal” against a “spiral of violence” after Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel, warning of a potential regional conflagration.

“I make a pressing appeal for an end to any action which could fuel a spiral of violence that risks dragging the Middle East into an even greater conflict,” the pontiff said after his traditional Sunday prayer in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

“I am praying and following with concern, but also pain, the news that has come in recent hours about the worsening situation in Israel due to Iran’s intervention,” the pope told worshippers.

“No one should threaten the existence of others. All countries must, however, side with peace and help Israelis and Palestinians to live in two states, side by side and in security,” he said.

“That is their right,” Francis insisted as he once again repeated earlier calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and “negotiation.”

The pontiff furthermore demanded the world “help the population facing a humanitarian crisis” in Gaza and urged the “immediate release of the hostages kidnapped months ago” by Hamas.

Lt Col Peter Lerner, an Israeli military spokesperson, has told BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House programme: “I know that around 360 various different munitions, 170 explosive drones, 30 cruise missiles, 120 ballistic missiles were fired towards Israel.”

“The vast majority of those were intercepted,” he added. These figures have not yet been independently verified.

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Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said Israel has shown that it was strong and could defend itself by repelling an Iranian attack overnight together with help from its allies.

“Iran is isolated with its aggressive behaviour with which it wants to destabilize an entire region,” she said. “And Israel’s capacities have shown Israel is strong, Israel can protect itself.”

Baerbock called on Iran to forgo further attacks including via proxies as a regional escalation would have incalculable consequences, Reuters reported.

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Iran summons the British, French and German ambassadors - report

Iran’s foreign ministry has summoned the ambassadors of the UK, France, and Germany to question what it referred to as their “irresponsible stance” regarding Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel, the semi-official Iranian Labour news agency reported.

Israel, with the help of key western allies, including the UK, claimed to have intercepted 99% of the launches during the Iranian mass strike on Saturday.

UK, Germany and France have been among the western countries which have condemned the drone and missile strike on Israel and has called for restraint.

We have not heard any response from the respective ambassadors.

The director for western Europe at Iran’s foreign ministry accused the three countries of “double standards” as they opposed earlier this month a Russian-drafted UN security council statement that would have condemned Israel’s attack on Iran’s embassy compound in Syria.

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Several Iranian airports cancel flights until Monday morning

Several Iranian airports, including Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International, have cancelled flights until Monday, Iranian state media reported on Sunday.

“All flights from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport have been cancelled until 6 a.m. (0230 GMT) following an announcement by Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation,” the airport’s executive told the Iranian Student news agency.

Domestic flights from Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport and airports in Shiraz, Isfahan, Bushehr, Kerman, Ilam, and Sanandaj have also been cancelled until Monday morning, according to Iran’s Airports and Air Navigation Company, as the country’s western airspace remains off limits to flights.

Major airlines across the Middle East have announced the cancellation of some of their flights, while having to reroute others, though Israel reopened its airspace as of 7:30am local time on Sunday morning.

Beirut airport also reopened this morning and flights in and out of the Lebanese capital have reportedly resumed.

Tehran has warned it will strike again with greater force if Israel or the US retaliate for the Iranian strike on Israel by more 300 drones and missiles on Saturday night.

Jordanian PM: Escalation in region would lead to 'dangerous paths'

Jordan’s prime minister, Bisher Khasawneh, has warned that any escalation in the region would lead to “dangerous paths” after Iran launched hundreds of drones as well as cruise missiles towards Israel.

In remarks to the cabinet, Khasawneh said the country’s armed forces would confront any attempt by any party that sought to endanger the kingdom’s security.

Jordan, a staunch US ally, intercepted some flying objects that entered its airspace on Saturday night to ensure the safety of its citizens, a cabinet statement said on Sunday.

Jordan, which lies between Iran and Israel, had readied air defences to intercept any drones or missiles that violated its territory, two regional security sources told Reuters.

Death toll in Gaza reaches 33,729, says health ministry

At least 33,729 Palestinians have been killed and 76,371 injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since 7 October, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

There have been 43 Palestinians killed and 62 injured in the past 24 hours, the ministry statement added.

Most of the casualties have been women and children, the health ministry has said, and thousands more bodies are likely to remain uncounted under rubble across Gaza.

Israel’s war cabinet is due to meet at 3:30pm (1230 GMT) to discuss a response to the drone and missile attack launched by Iran overnight, an Israeli official has said.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s ministers voted in the middle of the night to delegate that decision to the tiny war cabinet, comprising Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, defence minister Yoav Gallant and Benny Gantz, a Netanyahu opponent who joined the government as minister without portfolio after the Hamas 7 October attack.

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Most of the Iranian drones flying over Syria during Tehran's strikes were downed by Israeli and US jets - sources

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 told Reuters.

They said 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 the American base in al-Tanf, as well as along the Jordanian border and in eastern Syria, where Washington maintains hundred of troops in several airbases, one source said.

The Pantsir air defence systems that Iran operates from several airbases inside Syria were ineffective in downing any Israeli aircraft, both sources added, without giving further details.

Defences sources told the Guardian that British RAF Typhoons are understood to have been involved in shooting down Iranian drones over Syria and Iraq overnight (see earlier post at 08.28 for more details).

The New York Times is quoting two Israeli officials who say that, in total, Iran launched 185 drones, 36 cruise missiles and 110 surface-to-surface missiles.

Iran launched its attack in response to a suspected Israeli airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus on 1 April that killed officers of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack.

The United Arab Emirates has called for restraint to avoid dangerous repercussions in the Middle East, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday, following Tehran’s attack on Israel.

The UAE also called for resolving conflicts through dialogue and diplomatic channels.

Russia’s foreign ministry, meanwhile, has expressed “extreme concern over another dangerous escalation” in the Middle East and also called for restraint after Iranian strikes on Israel.

France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, has condemned Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel, which it says threatens to destabilise the region.

“France is working on de-escalation with its partners and calls for restraint,” he wrote on X.

The French foreign ministry on Friday advised French citizens against travelling to Iran, Lebanon, Israel, and the Palestinian territories.

Here are some of the latest images coming out from the newswires:

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Beirut airport reopened this morning and flights in and out of the Lebanese capital have resumed, BBC News has reported.

In the UK, Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, told Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday that last night’s missiles and drone attack was “a significant attack by Iran on Israel”.

“Our message across the region and with our partners is that we must not escalate this. We must contain this and just take time to look at what has happened over the last 12 hours,” she said.

“All of our efforts at the moment are on de-escalating this, we do not want this to go any further because we can all see the human cost to this, and we do not want a miscalculation or an escalation in events because we know that that will take its toll.”

The US embassy in Jerusalem says the “threat of drone and/or missile barrages has diminished” and that the shelter in place order for US government employees and their family members has been lifted.

“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,” a statement read.

“The US embassy will continue to closely monitor the security environment. Schools across Israel remain closed today, 14 April. Many flights have been canceled or delayed, and travelers are encouraged to check with the airline on the status of their flight. Land border crossings, including Allenby Bridge crossing, are open.”

You can read the full statement here.

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The UN security council is set to meet at 4pm ET (2000 GMT) on Sunday after Israel requested it condemn Iran’s attack and designate the Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organisation, Reuters reports.

US President Joe Biden has said he will convene a meeting of G7 leaders to “coordinate a united diplomatic response” to Iran’s attack.

Italy, which now holds the rotating G7 presidency, has reportedly called for a virtual meeting to discuss the attack.

Iran’s Fars news agency quoted a source as saying Tehran was closely watching Jordan, which might become the next target in case of any moves in support of Israel.

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Here is some more reaction from world leaders to Iran’s attack on Israel last night:

  • Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has called for restraint, saying on X: “We are following with the greatest concern the evolution of the situation in the Middle East. One must at all cost avoid a regional escalation.”

  • The office of Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, expressed its “solidarity and unwavering commitment” to Israel in the face of the attacks. It added that Argentina “emphatically supports the state of Israel in the defence of its sovereignty, especially against regimes that promote terror”, noting an Argentine court recently held Iran responsible for bomb attacks on the Israeli embassy and a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires in the 1990s.

  • Ukraine’s foreign ministry said Kyiv “strongly condemns Iran’s massive air attack” saying it could lead to “further grave acceleration in the Middle East”. “The attack also demonstrates why it is critical that all of the free world’s forces are consolidated to defend the global borders of democracy.”

  • The EU’s foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, said the strikes were “an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security” in a message on X.

Other countries, including the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and China, have called for restraint amid fears of a regional escalation of conflict across the Middle East.

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Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, which is an ally of Iran, has defended Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel that began on Saturday.

“We in Hamas regard the military operation conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran a natural right and a deserved response on the crime of targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus and the assassination of several leaders of the Revolutionary Guards,” Hamas said in a statement.

Israel and Hamas have been at war since early October when Hamas attacked Israel and killed about 1,200 people and abducted another 250.

More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 76,000 injured in retaliatory Israeli strikes on Gaza since 7 October, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

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As we reported earlier, Israel reopened its airspace as of 7:30am local time on Sunday morning.

Flag carrier El Al said it had resumed operations and was “working to stabilise the flight schedule as soon as possible”.

“El Al will continue to operate as much as possible to preserve the air bridge to and from Israel,” it said.

The airline had cancelled 15 flights to Europe, Dubai and Moscow scheduled for Sunday while flights that had taken off from Bangkok and Phuket were forced to return, Reuters reported.

Smaller Israeli carrier Arkia said it was in the process of making adjustments to its flight schedule after initially postponing flights to Athens, Milan and Geneva.

Emirates Airlines announced the cancellation of some of its flights and the re-routing of others, the airline’s spokesperson has said.

Airlines have been cancelling flights and changing routes after Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday evening.

British RAF typhoons 'involved in shooting down' Iranian drones over Syria and Iraq overnight - sources

British RAF Typhoons are understood to have been involved in shooting down Iranian drones over Syria and Iraq overnight, defence sources have indicated, with confirmation expected in a statement from the Ministry of Defence later.

The UK operation was billed as an extension of the longstanding anti Islamic State bombing and surveillance missions in Iraq and Syria, called Operation Shader.

The RAF also backfilled for US air force on anti Isis operations, so the Americans had a freer hand in helping Israel shoot down the 300 drones and missiles that Israel’s military said were fired overnight.

It was “Shader-plus” said one insider, and given the location of British jets, sources said it was very likely they encountered Iranian drones and missiles in their work.

More information is expected to be released by the UK about the legal basis for British military involvement. There were no references in initial statements to self-defence or helping an ally, but there was a broader call for stability from prime minister Rishi Suank overnight.

“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,” he said.

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Jordan intercepted some flying objects that entered its airspace last night to ensure safety of citizens, a cabinet statement said on Sunday.

“Some shrapnel fell in multiple places during that time without causing any significant damage or any injuries to citizens,” it added.

Israel, with the help of key western allies including the US, UK and Jordan, claimed to have intercepted about 99% of the launches during the mass Iranian strike.

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Response will be much larger if Israel retaliates, Iran armed forces chief warns

Iran warned Israel of a larger attack on its territory if it retaliates against Tehran’s overnight drone and missile attack, adding that Washington has been warned not to back Israeli military action.

“Our response will be much larger than tonight’s military action if Israel retaliates against Iran,” armed forces chief of staff Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri told Iranian state TV.

He said that Tehran warned Washington that any backing of Israeli retaliation would result in US bases being targeted.

The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, also warned Tehran would retaliate against any Israeli attack on its interests, officials or citizens.

As of Sunday morning, Israeli officials indicated no decision had been made about an Israeli response to the Iranian attack, as an official said any potential response would be discussed at the war cabinet meeting.

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Summary

Here’s a quick recap of how things stand at the moment:

  • On Saturday night, Iran launched hundreds of drones as well as cruise missiles towards Israel, in the Islamic Republic’s first ever direct attack on the state in response to the 1 April strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in the Syrian capital of Damascus which killed a senior figure in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, and eight other officers.

  • “Very little damage was caused,” according to Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant. An IDF spokesperson said 99% of the more than 300 missiles and drones were intercepted. Sirens blared across the country and explosions were visible in the sky as the first wave reached Israel at around 2am local time (midnight BST) and Israeli air defence systems went to work.

  • Iranian strikes caused “minor damage” to the Nevatim airbase in the south of Israel, army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Sunday. “Only a few missiles fell in the territory of the state of Israel with slight damage to a military base in the south, with only slight damage to the infrastructure,” Hagari said in a statement.

  • US secretary of defence, Lloyd Austin, said that US forces intercepted “dozens of missiles and UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] en route to Israel,” while Gallant praised the assistance of the US and “additional partners”.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • A growing chorus of US congressional leaders are calling for the supplemental aid bill to be passed, with US Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer saying it was the clearest way to help Israel. The $95bn supplemental spending bill includes $14bn for Israel, in addition to $60bn for Ukraine and support for Taiwan. It was passed by the Senate with 70% support in February but has been blocked in the House.

  • House majority leader Steve Scalise said in a statement on Saturday that there will be a change to the House schedule to consider legislation that supports Israel, but it was unclear whether Scalise was referring to a stand-alone bill to aid Israel or the $95bn supplemental spending bill.

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Israel’s chief military spokesperson said on Sunday that France was among the countries involved in defending Israel against Iran’s overnight attack.

“France has very good technology, jets, radar – and I know they were contributing in patrolling airspace,” he said, adding that he did not have exact details on whether French jets had shot down any of the missiles launched by Iran.

Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari confirmed there was a direct hit on the Nevatim airbase by ballistic missiles but said it caused only “minor damage to infrastructure” and the base remains fully operational, adding that a young girl was injured in the attack.

All drones and cruise missiles launched by Iran were intercepted before entering Israeli airspace, and the majority of 120 ballistic missiles, he said.

“Ballistic missiles, only a small number … single digits … fell in the base and around,” he said in a morning briefing. “A direct hit with minor damage that doesn’t do anything to the operational of the base.”

One young girl was in intensive care in hospital due to shrapnel injuries after the attacks, Hagari said, adding that so far there are no other reports of major damage or injury.

Hagari described the use of ballistic missiles as an “escalatory factor”. Asked about Israel’s options for an offensive response, he said Israel has plans and was considering its options.

“We have plans, the situation is still ongoing. We are assessing the situation, we are showing the cabinet the plans, and we are ready to do what is necessary for the defence of Israel.”

“I want you to show me another country facing over 110 ballistic missiles, and the drones,” he said. “I think Iran meant to get results and didn’t get results. The ballistic missiles are an escalatory factor. And when they used these numbers they wanted more significant results than what happened.”

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At Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, a number of flights remained cancelled, even after Israel’s airspace reopened.

Photojournalists in Jerusalem found the streets were largely quiet on Sunday morning, after Israel’s army announced the attack from Iran had been “foiled”.

Japan has strongly condemned Iran’s attack on Israel, calling it an escalation and saying it was deeply concerned at the situation, in a statement released by the foreign minister on Sunday.

“This attack is one that further worsens the current Middle East situation. We are deeply concerned and strongly condemn this sort of escalation,” the statement said.

Jordan and Iraq reopen their airspace

Jordan and Iraq reopened their airspace on Sunday after closing it late on Saturday as Iran launched its attack against Israel, both countries said on Sunday.

Jordan’s state TV said the country had resumed air traffic operations, citing aviation authorities. The opening of its airspace came more than three hours earlier than scheduled.

Iraq’s aviation authority said security risks had now been overcome.

Both Joe Biden and the Iranians are well aware that Benjamin Netanyahu would ideally like to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities, which he has long seen as an existential threat to Israel. Reducing them to rubble would be very hard without US help, but it is possible that he and other Israeli hawks could try seize this opportunity to deliver that ambition.

NBC News reported on Saturday night that some top administration officials are “concerned Israel could do something quickly in response to Iran’s attacks without thinking through potential fallout afterward”.

The report said Biden had privately expressed concern that Netanyahu is “trying to drag the US more deeply into a broader conflict”, citing three people familiar with the president’s comments.

In the short term, Washington can draw comfort from a few signs any Israeli response will not at least be immediate. Israel has called for a UN security council session on the attack, which will happen at 4pm New York time on Sunday. It would be surprising if a counter-attack was launched before that session.

Another possible sign that the response could be muted was Yoav Gallant’s conversation with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, after the attacks. According to the Israeli defence ministry, Gallant “emphasised that the defence establishment is prepared for any further attempts to attack the state of Israel”. His comments made no mention of Israel striking back.

A third positive sign in the early hours of Sunday was a reassurance from an Israeli official cited by the New York Times that “Israel’s response would be coordinated with its allies”.

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Israel's response to Iran attack will rest with war cabinet

The prospect of a major regional war in the Middle East hangs in the balance on Sunday morning, when Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet is due to meet to decide Israel’s response to Iran’s drone and missile attack.

Netanyahu’s ministers voted in the middle of the night to delegate that decision to the tiny war cabinet, comprising Netanyahu, defence minister Yoav Gallant and Benny Gantz, a Netanyahu opponent who joined the government as minister without portfolio after the Hamas 7 October attack, which began the spiral of violence that has brought Israel and Iran to the brink of war.

These three prickly rivals will decide the next step, with the fate of the region now resting in their hands.

As of early Sunday morning, the only reported casualty from the aerial onslaught was a 10-year-old boy in Israel’s southern desert, from the country’s most marginalised community, the Bedouins. A southern military base was lightly damaged.

In the run-up to the expected Iranian assault, US officials had hypothesised just such an outcome: that Iranian projectiles would fall in the desert and not cause significant casualties. In that case, the officials predicted, Washington would urge strongly against a rash Israeli response.

Iran is clearly hoping for such a muted response. In a message delivered through its mission at the UN, Tehran suggested hopefully that in the wake of its retaliation: “The matter can be deemed concluded.”

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The office of Benjamin Netanyahu has said Hamas has rejected the latest proposal for a deal to return Israeli hostages.

The statement said that the rejection of the proposals showed that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, did not want a deal and was trying to exploit tensions with Iran and bring about a regional escalation of the conflict.

“Israel will continue to strive to realize the objectives of the war with Hamas with full force, and leave no stone unturned to return the 133 hostages from Gaza forthwith,” the office of the Israeli prime minister said.

Minor damage to infrastructure at Nevatim airbase, reports IDF

An Israeli military spokesperson has said that a “very small number” of ballistic missiles that penetrated Israel’s border fell at the Nevatim airbase in southern Israel.

There was reportedly “minor damage to infrastructure”.

The spokesperson said that the base was still operational and posted a videos of a warplane landing at its runway. The Guardian was unable to verify the video.

Iran thought that it would paralyze the work of the air base and harm our air capabilities, but it failed, as warplanes continue to land and take off inside the air base and depart for defensive and offensive missions, including F-35 stealth aircraft.

Earlier in the evening, the IDF reported several injuries at the airbase.

Israeli airspace reopens

Israel reopened its airspace as of 7.30am local time on Sunday, the country’s airports authority said.

The authority said flight schedules from Tel Aviv were expected to be affected and travellers should check flight times.

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant holds operational situation assessment

Israel’s defence minister has said he has completed an operational situation assessment with senior members of Israel’s defence establishment and concluded that the IDF “thwarted” the attack from Iran “in an impressive manner.”

Together with the United States and additional partners, we managed to defend the territory of the State of Israel. Very little damage was caused – this is the result of the IDF’s impressive operations.”

Gallant said that while “the campaign is not over yet”, Israel “thwarted the most significant wave [of the attack], and we did so successfully.”

It’s now 8am in Israel. Hours have passed since Iran launched its first direct attack on Israeli territory, raising the threat of a wider regional conflict.

The Israeli military has said that nearly all the drones and missile fired by Iran and its proxies across the region were intercepted. Reports of any damage inside Israel are so far minimal.

Joe Biden has spoken to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reiterating US support for Israel.

A statement from Iran’s mission to the UN said the attack was in response to a strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus on 1 April and the “matter can be deemed concluded.”

Biden will convene a meeting of G7 leader on Sunday as the world watches to see what shape Israel’s response to the overnight attack will take.

In his first public comments since the attack began, Benjamin Netanyahu posted a brief statement to X, saying: “We intercepted. We repelled. Together we will win”.

Iran attack on Israel 'foiled' - IDF spokesperson

An IDF spokesperson has said that the attack by Iran has been “foiled”.

“Iran has committed a dangerous act and is pushing the Middle East towards escalation. We do everything necessary to protect the security of the citizens of Israel,” IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee has said.

Reuters is reporting that the Israeli military is discussing options for “follow-up operations”.

IDF confirms more than 300 drones and missiles launched at Israel

Iran launched more than 300 “threats of various types” toward Israel, including ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles, IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee has said.

“We have intercepted 99 percent of threats towards Israeli territory. This is a very important strategic achievement,” Adraee said.

In a post on X, the IDF spokesperson gave a breakdown on the number of weapons used to target Israel:

Out of about 170 drones launched by Iran – not a single one of them penetrated the State of Israel, as air force warplanes and our and our allies’ air defense systems intercepted dozens of them.

Of the more than 30 cruise missiles launched by Iran – none of the missiles penetrated Israeli territory. Our warplanes intercepted 25 missiles outside the country’s borders.

Out of more than 120 ballistic missiles, a very small number penetrated the Israeli border, while the rest of the missiles were intercepted. This small number fell at an air force base in Nafatim and caused minor damage to infrastructure.

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The attack by Iranian drones and missiles poses perhaps the most serious challenge to Israel’s air defence system that has ever been seen.

An IDF spokesperson said most of the drones and missiles fired by Iran were intercepted outside Israel’s borders, while a limited number fell inside the country’s territory.

“Air defense fighters using the “Arrow” system – together with strategic partner countries – successfully intercepted most of the launches before they crossed into the territory of the country,” Israeli army spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said in a statement earlier.

The Arrow is a system developed with the US, and is designed to intercept long-range missiles, including the types of ballistic missiles Iran said it launched on Saturday. The Arrow has also been used in the current conflict to intercept long-range missiles launched by Houthi militants in Yemen, the Associate Press reported.

Among its arsenal of defences, Israel can also rely on the Patriot, a US-made system which is the oldest weapon in Israel’s missile-defence system and which is used to shoot down aircraft, including drones.

The Iron Dome is also available to shoot down short-range rockets. The system – developed by Israel with US backing – has intercepted thousands of rockets since it was activated in 2011. Israel says it has a success rate of over 90%.

US forces intercepted 'dozens' of missiles and drones, says defence secretary

US secretary of defence, Lloyd Austin has said that US forces intercepted “dozens of missiles and UAVs en route to Israel”.

In a statement, Austin said they were launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, adding US forces remained ready to provide support for Israel’s defence.

I spoke to Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant for a second time today to reiterate ironclad US support for Israel’s defense in light of Iran’s unprecedented attack from Iranian territory. We reviewed the extraordinary defensive measures and strong cooperation undertaken to defeat this Iranian attack against Israel.”

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US Senate majority leader calls for for supplemental aid bill to be passed

US Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer has added his voice to the growing chorus of congressional leaders calling for the supplemental aid bill to be passed.

Schumer said it appeared very few drones had made it through Israel’s defences and there were few casualties.

I just spoke with top administration officials and they confirmed reports that U.S. and Israeli forces acted together to help protect Israel from Iran launched missiles and drones.

While condemning the attack, Schumer said the clearest way to help Israel was for “the House to quickly pass the Senate’s bipartisan national security supplemental next week.”

The $95bn supplemental spending bill includes $14bn for Israel, in addition to $60bn for Ukraine, support for Taiwan and billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance. It was passed by the Senate with 70% support in February but has been blocked in the House.

House majority leader Steve Scalise said in a statement on Saturday that there will be a change to the House schedule to consider legislation that supports Israel, but it was unclear whether Scalise was referring to a stand-alone bill to aid Israel or the $95bn supplemental spending bill.

China’s foreign ministry has said it is deeply concerned about escalation, in remarks published on the ministry’s website on Sunday.

“China calls on relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalation of tensions,” the spokesperson said in response to a question about Iran’s strikes.

This round of tensions is a “spillover from the Gaza conflict”, and quelling that conflict is “a top priority”, the spokesperson said.

Updated

Venezuela’s foreign minister, Yvan Gil, shared a statement saying the government was following the “worrying events” in the Middle East. The statement did not condemn or mention Iran’s retaliatory strike on Israel.

“As a result of the genocide in Palestine and the irrationality of the Israeli regime as well as the inaction of the United Nations, the situation of instability in the region has worsened dramatically in recent weeks,” the statement said. “Peace will only be guaranteed once justice and international law are re-established, mainly with regard to the Palestinian people and state.”

Updated

US senator Jack Reed, chairman of the Senate armed services committee, has condemned Iran’s attack against Israel.

This widespread assault was reckless and provocative. I salute the Israelis, Americans, and regional partners who worked together to shoot down hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles throughout the night.

Reed added that Iran must immediately cease its attack, while, urging Israel to act with prudence and wisdom.

The US military shot down dozens of Iranian missiles bound for Israel, as well as knocking down drones, three US officials told the Reuters news agency.

Two of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some of the missiles were shot down by the US Navy.

The New York Times is quoting two Israeli officials who say that, in total, Iran launched 185 drones, 36 cruise missiles and 110 surface-to-surface missiles.

Most of the launches were from Iran, though a small portion came from Iraq and Yemen, the officials reportedly said.

'Nearly all' Iranian drones and missiles intercepted, says Biden

Joe Biden has said that nearly all the drones and missiles launched from Iran were intercepted, adding that he will convene a meeting of G7 leaders on Sunday.

Condemning the attack, the US president said in a statement from the White House that Iran was aided by its proxy forces in Yemen, Syria and Iraq.

At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles.

Biden says that he reaffirmed America’s “ironclad” commitment to Israel in his call with Benjamin Netanyahu.

I told him that 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.

Here are some of the images that have come in over the last few hours.

Footage broadcast by Iranian state TV purporting to show the impact of the attack on Israel is actually a much older video of a fire in Chile, according to reporter’s at the BBC.

Thousands gather in Iran in show of support for attack on Israel - AFP

Thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Iran early on Sunday in a show of support for the unprecedented drone and missile attack under way against Israel, Agence France-Presse reported.

Demonstrators waved Iranian and Palestinian national flags alongside banners reading “God’s victory is near”. Some chanted “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” in Tehran’s Palestine Square.

A mural saying “the next slap is fiercer” was unveiled in the square where a huge banner has hung for days calling, in Hebrew, for Israelis to “take shelter”.

A large crowd of demonstrators gathered outside the British embassy in Tehran. Demonstrators also gathered near the grave in the southern city of Kerman of prominent Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Suleimani, who was killed in a 2020 US drone strike in Baghdad.

The Guardian has published some of the first verified video from Israel and the West Bank, showing the attack taking place.

UN security council will hold emergency meeting Sunday

The UN security council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday after Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel, the body’s president said.

The meeting is aiming to be held at 4pm on Sunday and is at Israel’s request, a spokesperson for Malta, which holds the rotating presidency this month, told the media Saturday evening.

Israel’s ambassador to the UN called for the meeting in a letter to the security council president, labelling Iran’s attack a “flagrant violation of Israel’s sovereignty.”

Israel has requested that the UN security council hold an emergency meeting to condemn Iran’s attack on Israel and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization.

The Iranian attack is a serious threat to global peace and security and I expect the Council to use every means to take concrete action against Iran,” Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, wrote in a post on X.

The X account of the Israeli prime minister has posted this image of Benjamin Netanyahu speaking to Joe Biden.

US media are reporting that the call lasted 25 minutes.

Updated

Netanyahu speaks with Joe Biden as war cabinet meeting concludes

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken to US president Joe Biden, his office has said.

The conversation came at the conclusion of a meeting by Israel’s war cabinet.

Earlier, the Pentagon reported that defence secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken with his Israeli counterpart “to discuss urgent regional threats … and made clear that Israel could count on full US support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies.”

National security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke with his counterpart to reinforce Washington’s “ironclad commitment to the security of Israel.”

Injuries at IDF base in south of Israel

A few injuries were reported at a military base in the south of Israel where there was minor damage to infrastructure, Israeli army spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said in a statement.

He said the vast majority of the missiles launched from Iran were intercepted outside the borders of Israel.

The air defense fighters successfully intercepted using the “Arrow” system and, together with the strategic partner countries, most of the launches before they crossed the territory of the country.”

Summary

It’s 4.15am in Jerusalem, 4.45am in Tehran and 9.15pm in Washington. Here’s what we know about the attack taking place against Israel.

  • Iran has launched dozens of drones as well as cruise missiles towards Israel, the Islamic Republic’s first ever direct attack on the Jewish state in response to the 1 April strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in the Syrian capital of Damascus which killed a senior figure in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, and eight other officers.

  • Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corp has said that it launched ballistic missiles at “specific targets” in Israel as part of what it called “Operation True Promise”.

  • The first wave reached Israel at around 2am local time (midnight BST), with sirens blaring across the country and explosions visible and audible in the sky in several places. Commercial capital Tel Aviv, the disputed city of Jerusalem, and Dimona, the desert city home to Israel’s nuclear plant, all appeared to have been targeted.

  • Iranian strikes caused “minor damage” to an Israeli base, army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Sunday, after Iran’s state media reported “heavy blows” to the base from its missiles. “Only a few missiles fell in the territory of the state of Israel with slight damage to a military base in the south, with only slight damage to the infrastructure,” Hagari said in a statement.

  • 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 cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house and returned to the White House to meet his national security team and monitor the situation shortly before the attack was announced.

  • 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 has said he is deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation.

Mitch McConnell calls for Congress to take action on supplemental bill that includes aid for Israel and Ukraine

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has said the US “must stand with our ally.”

“President Biden must lead an international effort to impose sufficient costs on Tehran to compel an end to its aggression and terror … The president must also give Israel the time, space, and support it deserves to finish the job against Hamas. Tehran and its proxies are emboldened when they see divisions between the US and Israel.”

McConnell, a senior Republican leader, has called for Congress to “do its part.”

“The national security supplemental that has waited months for action will provide critical resources to Israel and our own military forces in the region.”

That $95bn supplemental spending bill includes $14bn for Israel, in addition to $60bn for Ukraine, support for Taiwan and billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance. It was passed by the Senate with 70% support in February but has been blocked in the House, whose Republican leaders will not call it up for a vote, largely because of their objection to further funding for Ukraine.

House majority leader Steve Scalise said in a statement that there will be a change to the House schedule to consider legislation that supports Israel and holds Iran accountable.

It was unclear whether Scalise was referring to a stand-alone bill to aid Israel or the $95bn supplemental spending bill.

Updated

A statement from Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry has expressed the Kingdom’s deep concern regarding military escalations in the region and the seriousness of the potential repercussions.

The Kingdom called on all parties to exercise the ‘utmost levels’ of restraint and spare the region and its people the dangers of wars.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned Iran’s attack on Israel and called for restraint and an immediate cessation of hostilities.

“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,” Guterres said in a statement.

Most missiles intercepted outside Israel's borders, IDF spokesperson says

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.

Israeli warplanes intercepted more than ten cruise missiles outside the country’s borders, as well as dozens of drones, Adraee said in a statement on X, adding that the total number of aerial units launched from Iran was about 200.

A short hour ago, Iran launched dozens of surface-to-surface missiles from its territory towards Israel … At this time, there are reports that one child was injured, and an IDF base in the south was damaged, resulting in minor damage to infrastructure.

Updated

US forces in the region shooting down Iranian-launched drones

A hastily assembled coalition including the US and UK has helped Israel shoot down Iranian drones over Jordan, Iraq and Syria in an effort to blunt the attack and prevent an uncontrollable escalation.

As a mass salvo of Iranian drones and cruise missiles neared its borders, Israel scrambled its fighter jets to intercept the incoming projectiles, according to Israeli news reports, and it was supported in the effort by its partners and neighbours.

“In accordance with our ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, US forces in the region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel,” a senior US defence official told reporters. “Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect US forces operating in the region.”

Jordan's air force shooting down Iranian drones in airspace - reports

Jordan’s air force intercepted and shot down dozens of Iranian drones that violated its airspace and were heading to Israel, two regional security sources told the Reuters news agency.

Residents in several cities in the northern part of the country – near Syria – and central and southern areas heard heavy aerial activity.

In neighbourhoods south of the capital Amman, 60 km from Jerusalem, several downed drones were reportedly seen. Reuters has said that residents gathered around the remnants of one suspected large drone that fell in a commercial area of the city’s Marj al Hamam suburb.

There was no confirmation from the Jordanian government on its military role. The Iranian news agency Fars cited a source as saying that the regime in Tehran was closely monitoring Jordan’s actions which could make the Arab state “the next target” if it acted in Israel’s defence.

Jordan had earlier said it closed its airspace starting to all incoming, departing and transiting aircraft.

“The relevant authorities took the decision to close the airspace for precautionary reasons as a result of the surrounding security situation,” Jordan’s government spokesperson Muhannad Mubaideen said.

A number of world leaders have condemned Iran’s attack on Israel, with French foreign minister Stéphane Séjourné saying that in “taking such an unprecedented action, Iran has crossed a new threshold with regard to its destabilizing activities and is risking a potential military escalation.”

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on X that Germany condemns “in the strongest possible terms the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos.

“Iran and its proxies must stop it immediately,” Baerbock wrote. “We offer Israel our full solidarity at this time.”

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said his nation “unequivocally condemns Iran’s airborne attacks against Israel.”

“We stand with Israel. After supporting Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regime’s latest actions will further destabilize the region and make lasting peace more difficult,” Trudeau said in a statement.

“We support Israel’s right to defend itself and its people from these attacks.”

Iran's Revolutionary Guards release new statement

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have said any threat from the United States and Israel will be met with Tehran’s reciprocal response, Iranian state TV reported.

“Any threat by the United States and the Zionist regime originating from any country will result in a proportional and reciprocal response from Iran towards the origin of the threat,” the Guards said in a statement.

Separately, the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement reported on state TV that the country would not hesitate to take further “defensive measures” to protect its interests against any military aggression.

Iran, if necessary, will not hesitate to take further defensive measures to safeguard its legitimate interests against any military aggressions and unlawful use of force … while reaffirming its commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.”

Some pictures taken of the sky over Israel are beginning to come in.

Explosions have been seen above Tel Aviv, while other objects – likely drones – were identified in other images.

Joe Biden is meeting with his national security team at the White House and is monitoring the situation in the Middle East.

Earlier, national security council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said “the United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran.”

The White House has released this picture of Biden in a meeting with his team in Washington.

Meanwhile, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been meeting with his war cabinet at military headquarters in Tel Aviv, according to a statement from his office.

US embassy in Jerusalem tells government employees to shelter in place

All US government employees should shelter in place until further notice, a security alert posted by the US embassy in Jerusalem has said.

In response to security incidents and without advance notice, the U.S. Embassy may further restrict or prohibit U.S. government employees and their family members from traveling to certain areas of Israel (including the Old City of Jerusalem) and the West Bank.”

Egypt calls on all parties to exercise 'utmost restraint'

Egypt has called on all parties to exercise “utmost restraint” to spare the region and its people from further factors of instability and tension.

In a post on X, Egypt’s foreign ministry said:

“Egypt considers that the dangerous escalation that the Iranian and Israeli arena is currently witnessing is nothing but a direct result of what Egypt has repeatedly warned about.

Egypt stresses that it is in constant contact with all concerned parties to try and contain the situation, stop the escalation and spare the region the risk of sliding into a dangerous turn of instability and threat to the interests of its people.”

Air travel disrupted across the region

Since confirmation that Iran’s long-promised attack on Israel has been launched, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon have all announced that they are temporarily closing their airspace.

Israel said it was closing its own airspace earlier in the evening.

United Airlines has canceled a planned Saturday flight from Newark to Tel Aviv due to the restrictions on Israeli airspace, the airline said in a statement.

Elsewhere, a flight from Moscow to Tehran which took off on Saturday evening was diverted to Makhachkala in Russia’s Dagestan region, Russian agencies reported.

“In order to ensure flight safety, the plane will return to Moscow after refuelling,” the Tass news agency reported.

Russian flagship carrier Aeroflot also said it was postponing flights from Moscow and St Petersburg to the Red Sea resort town of Hurghada in Egypt, from Moscow to Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt and from Moscow to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE.

Updated

UK defence secretary Grant Shapps has condemned the attack Iran has launched on Israel, saying it serves no benefit other than to further undermine regional security.

In response to the escalation in the region and in partnership with our allies, the Prime Minister and I have authorised the deployment of additional Royal Air Force assets.

Shapps has reiterated the statement from the Ministry of Defence, saying that RAF jets will intercept airborne attacks within range of the militaries existing missions.

Explosions visible in the sky in several places as air raid sirens blare out across the country

Sirens blared out across the country and explosions were visible and audible in the sky in several places as the first wave of the attack reached Israel at around 2am local time (midnight BST).

The attack is expected to unfold over a number of hours. Commercial capital Tel Aviv, the disputed city of Jerusalem, and Dimona, the desert city home to Israel’s nuclear plant, all appeared to have been targeted.

The US House of Representatives will make a change in its schedule to consider legislation that supports Israel and holds Iran accountable, House majority leader Steve Scalise said in a statement on Saturday.

The House of Representatives stands strongly with Israel, and there must be consequences for this unprovoked attack.”

US House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has said that America’s commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad and unbreakable.

Iran, a sworn enemy of the United States, has launched an unprecedented attack against our Democratic ally, the State of Israel … Iran will not succeed. We stand with the people of Israel during this moment of significant challenge.”

UK jets will intercept airborne attacks within range of existing missions, says Ministry of Defence

The UK Ministry of Defence has said that jets will intercept any airborne attacks within range of its existing missions, as required.

In a statement, the ministry said that it has moved several additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers to the region.

In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks … We will continue to cooperate closely with our regional partners in the interest of de-escalation.”

Israel’s Channel 12 TV has reported that US and British warplanes have downed some Israeli-bound drones over the Iraq-Syria border area.

Unnamed US officials told the Reuters news agency that the military had shot down Iranian drones, but did not disclose how many or their precise locations.

Updated

Kuwait Airways has diverted all its incoming and outgoing flights away from “areas of tension”, Reuters reports.

It added that Lebanon has announced the temporary closure of its airspace.

Updated

More than 100 drones launched against Israel, IDF says

Iran has launched more than 100 explosives-laden drones at Israel, the Israeli military has said, while declining to immediately confirm media reports that cruise missiles were also part of the attack.

Iranian state media have reported that missiles were also launched. State television quoted a statement from the Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as saying:

In response to the numerous crimes committed by the Zionist regime, including the attack on the consular section … the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired dozens of missiles and drones at specific targets inside the occupied territories [Israel].

Almost an hour after the drones were launched, Iran fired a “first batch of ballistic missiles”, the official IRNA news agency said.

Israel’s Channel 12 TV has also said that cruise missiles are being used in the attack. The Israeli network has said that the Iranian drone salvo is expected to reach Israel at 2am local time.

Updated

Iran's mission to the UN gives statement on Israel attack

“Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus,” Iran’s mission to the UN has said in a post on X.

The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe.

The post goes on to say that the conflict is between Iran and Israel – and the US “must stay away”.

Updated

Israeli intelligence has detected the launch of dozens of drones and missiles from Iran and Iraq, two Israeli officials told the New York Times anonymously.

According to the officials, the Golan Heights and an Israeli air force base in the Negev desert are expected to be the areas of impact.

Updated

Rishi Sunak condemns Iran's 'reckless attack' on Israel

The British prime minister on X has condemned Iran’s attack and reiterated the UK’s continued support for Israel’s security.

He wrote:

I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime’s reckless attack against Israel.

Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own back yard.

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.

Updated

Syria has put its Russian-made Pantsir ground-to-air defence systems around its capital Damascus and put major bases on high alert, anticipating an Israeli strike, army sources have told Reuters.

They said they expected Israel to retaliate against army bases and installations where pro-Iranian militia were based.

Updated

Initial reports indicated that Iran had launched multiple drones aimed at Israel, backed up by night-time videos from Iran of appearing to show noisy Shahed drones presumably flying west.

The slow moving Shaheds flies at a speed of 110 miles per hour, would take six hours to fly from Iran, and are relatively easy to intercept, as Ukraine has demonstrated with a less effective air defence system.

On March 23, Ukraine’s air force said it had shot down 31 out of 34 attacking, for example - meaning that an attack by a few dozen drones, whilst dramatic, would not in itself demonstrate military seriousness by Tehran.

A more dangerous assault would involve a combination of manoeuvrable cruise missiles and high speed ballistic missiles.

At the time of writing, there were emerging reports that cruise missiles had been fired after the drones. A cruise missile might take two hours to reach Israel, but a high ballistic missile could take as little as 15 minutes. These would be launched after the drones in an attempt to arrive at similar times and perhaps in waves in an effort to overwhelm Israel’s air defences.

A week ago, Iran’s ISNA news agency published a graphic on Sunday that listed nine different types of missiles it claimed can hit Israel, at the closest point less than 600 miles from Iran itself.

These included the Sejil ballistic missile, said to be capable of flying at more than 10,500 miles per hour or the Kheibar with an estimated range of over 1,200 miles and the Paveh cruise missile, with a claimed range of 1,000 miles, first publicly demonstrated a year ago.

Faster speeds and shorter flight times make them harder to shoot down than drones, although also relevant are the numbers fired and the overall sophistication of the attack.

Here are some images coming through the newswires of Joe Biden’s traveling to the White House after he cut short his Delaware trip on Saturday:

Updated

The Israeli airline El Al Airlines has cancelled 15 flights scheduled for this weekend. Israel has closed its airspace as a precaution.

Foreign destinations affected include Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Milan, Bucharest, Sofia, Athens, Dubai and Moscow. Flights on Saturday and Sunday are affected, a statement from El Al said.

Updated

Jordan declared a state of emergency amid Iran’s drone attack on Israel, Reuters reported, citing state media.

Two regional security sources told Reuters that the country’s air defenses are prepared to intercept and shoot down any Iranian drones that enter its air space.

The sources said that Jordan’s army is also on high alert and its radar systems are monitoring for drone activity.

Updated

All schools in Israel will be closed and gatherings of more than 1,000 people will be limited from now until at least 11pm on Monday, the Israeli military has said in a post on Telegram.

Meanwhile, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said:

In accordance with the situational assessment and in light of the security situation, the Home Front Command is issuing updates and adjustments to the defensive guidelines at this time – starting tomorrow morning and over the coming days, educational establishments, day camps and planned trips will not take place.

Updated

Joe Biden arrives at White House

Joe Biden’s motorcade arrived back at the White House at 5.02pm, according to the White House pool report.

He walked into the Oval Office and the pool was too far away to shout questions.

Updated

Iran supreme leader Ali Khamenei: 'The malicious Zionist regime will be punished'

Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei has vowed that Israel’s “malicious Zionist regime will be punished”, following Iran’s launch of drone attacks against Israel.

In a video on X, Khamenei said:

The malicious regime itself, which is all malice, evil and error, added another mistake to its own errors by launching an attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria.

The consulate and embassy offices in any country where they exist are regarded as the soil of the country to which the embassy belongs. Attacking our consulate is like attacking our soil …

The malicious regime has made a wrong move in this case. It should be punished and it will be punished.

Updated

Jordan’s air defence is ready to shoot down any Iranian aircraft that violates its airspace, Reuters reports.

Two regional security sources have said the army was also in a state of high alert and radar systems were monitoring drone activity.

Updated

US National Security Council: 'The United States will stand with the people of Israel'

In a statement released on Saturday, the US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said:

Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel. President Biden is being regularly updated on the situation by his national security team and will meet with them this afternoon at the White House.

His team is in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as other partners and allies. This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours.

President Biden has been clear: our support for Israel’s security is ironclad. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran.

Joe Biden cuts short Delaware trip and heads back to White House

Joe Biden has cut short his weekend at the beach at Rehoboth and is returning to the White House in his Marine One helicopter, which lifted off at 3.36pm local time.

Among the aides travelling with the president is Marc Gustafson, the senior director for the White House situation room, which is where Biden will be heading as he touches down.

According to the White House, the president will be joined by Lloyd Austin, the defence secretary; Antony Blinken, the secretary of state; Gen Charles Brown, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff; William Burns, the CIA director; Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence; and Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser.

Meanwhile, Gen Erik Kurilla, the head of US Central Command, who has been in Israel for the past two days coordinating and rehearsing responses with Israeli defence leaders, is reported to have flown out.

Much of the Biden administration’s diplomatic focus since the Gaza war broke out has been on preventing a broader regional conflict. That effort is now at its most precarious point.

Updated

Benjamin Netanyahu: 'Whoever harms us, we will harm them'

The Israeli prime minister released the following statement on Saturday evening amid Iran’s launch of drones towards 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.

We appreciate the US standing alongside Israel, as well as the support of Britain, France and many other countries.

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.

Citizens of Israel, I know that you also are also level-headed. I call on you to follow the directives of IDF Home Front Command.

Together we will stand and with God’s help – together we will overcome all of our enemies.

Updated

Key event

Iran has launched an “unmanned aerial vehicle” towards Israel, according to the Israeli military.

In a statement released minutes ago on X, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari wrote:

A short time ago, Iran launched an unmanned aerial vehicle from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel. The IDF is on high alert and forms a situation picture at all times. The air defense system is on high alert at the same time as the Air Force planes and Navy ships that are on a mission to protect the country’s skies. The IDF is monitoring all the targets.

Meanwhile, Israeli Channel 12 TV news reported that Iran has launched dozens of UAVs at Israel and that their flight time was expected to take hours, Reuters reports.

Two Iraqi security officials have also told Reuters that dozens of drones were spotted flying from Iran in the direction of Israel over Iraqi airspace. Iraq has shut down its airspace and ceased all air traffic, according to Iraq’s transportation ministry, Reuters reports.

The reported attacks come nearly two weeks after Israel killed an Iranian top commander during a bombing on Iran’s consulate in Damascus.

Updated

Iran launches drones towards Israel, says IDF

Rear Adm Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesperson, has said that Iran has launched dozens of drones towards Israel, a development that brings the two countries to the brink of all-out conflict after more than a decade of shadow war and soaring tensions in the wake of 7 October and Israel’s war in Gaza.

The drones are “hours away” from reaching Israeli soil, officials told local media on Saturday night. Israel’s forces have been on high alert for days for the possibility of a direct attack launched by Tehran, and jets could be heard roaring across the north of the country after the announcement. Israel’s sophisticated Iron Dome air defence system is expected to be able to intercept Shahed drones, which fly at around 150km/hour.

Rumours swirled for several hours before Hagari’s statement at 11pm local time (9pm BST) about Iran’s threatened retaliation for the 1 April killing of Gen Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior figure in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, in an Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

As several surrounding countries closed their airspaces in anticipation of the attack, Israel announced that schools will be closed for the next two days.

Updated

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