ISRAEL last night shot down 300 Iranian drones and missiles with the help of its allies as it repelled a huge attack from its Middle Eastern enemy.
RAF jets were scrambled as Iran’s revenge strike injured a young Israeli girl and damaged a military base, pushing the region to the brink of all-out war.
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Sirens and loud explosions were heard as Israel’s air defences repulsed the huge attack.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said most of the drones and missiles were intercepted away from the country’s borders.
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said a small number of the ground-to-ground Iranian missiles struck Israel, wounding a girl and causing minor damage to a military base in the south.
British and US military forces downed a number of drones over the Iraq-Syrian border, according to Israeli state media.
UK defence secretary Grant Shapps said Iran’s “senseless” attack “serves no benefit other than to further undermine regional security”.
He confirmed several RAF jets had been deployed to the region to “intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned “in the strongest terms” Iran’s “reckless attack” which he said showed that it was “intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard”.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu convened his war cabinet ahead of the drones’ arrival.
Israelis were warned the drones would take around eight hours to reach the country — at 2am local time, midnight in the UK.
Rear Admiral Hagari said: “We have prepared for diverse scenarios in advance.
“In order to intercept these launches, we have the circles of protection from both the navy and the air force on several layers.
“We are going to try to prevent them from reaching Israeli territory, that is our task.
“If they do enter Israeli airspace, then you will hear sirens and alarms wherever these threats enter and we will intercept them.
“I remind you—it doesn’t matter from where the threat is launched, if an alarm sounds, you must enter the shelter and stay there for ten minutes.
“Ten minutes after the alarm ends, no less.
“We will update you in real-time if you need to stay there longer.”
Jordan shut down airspace with several planes diverted before the attacks were announced by the IDF.
Several airlines announced they were halting flights over Iran and Israel amid safety fears.
US president Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to Delaware to return to Washington for an urgent meeting with his security team to discuss the crisis.
The Foreign Office has already advised Brits to flee Lebanon following a drone blitz on the north of Israel by Hamas and Iran ally Hezbollah.
Guidance on Israel is being monitored with officials ready to declare a “do not travel” alert if the situation escalates.
The drones are understood to have been launched from the Kermanshah province of Iran in the northeast of the country, some 750 miles from Israeli soil.
One of the officials said the weapons were expected to target Israeli government sites, not civilians or religious sites.
Iran had vowed to take revenge on Israel after accusing it of orchestrating a strike on its Syrian consulate in Damascus earlier this month which killed 13 people including senior military commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi.
The IDF has repeatedly denied being behind the attack.
Last night, Mr Sunak said: “I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime’s reckless attack against Israel.
“These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region.
“Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard.
“The UK will continue to stand up for Israel’s security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq.
“Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No-one wants to see more bloodshed.”
Foreign Secretary David Cameron added: “Iran’s reckless attacks on Israel will only further inflame tensions in the Middle East.
“The UK calls on the Iranian regime to stop this serious escalation, which is in no one’s interest.”
Earlier on Saturday Mr Netanyahu had said Israel was prepared for a “direct attack from Iran” following its threats of retaliation for a deadly air strike on its Damascus consulate.
“Our defence systems are deployed, we are prepared for any scenario, both in defence and attack,” he said in a televised statement, adding that Israel had the backing of the United States and “many” countries.
Israel had also warned that Iran would suffer the “consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further.”
The strong warning came after Iran seized a container ship linked to Israel in the Gulf, and as Israel announced it was closing schools nationwide for security reasons.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted his country is “prepared for any scenario” as they continue to fight in Gaza.
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