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

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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”.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.”

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.

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”.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.”

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”.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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 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.”

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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 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.

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.”

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 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.”

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.

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 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.

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.

“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”.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.