UK forces involved in response to Iran attacks on Israel

UK forces were involved in supporting Israel after Iran launched ballistic missiles on the country, the defence secretary has said.

John Healey, who was in Cyprus to visit military personnel, said British forces had “played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation” on Tuesday, later adding that RAF jets were ready to engage with Iranian targets but “didn’t need to do so”.

The BBC understands British military jets did not shoot down any Iranian ballistic missiles nor did the Royal Navy Destroyer, HMS Duncan, fire any of her Sea Viper missiles.

In April RAF Typhoon jets based in Cyprus shot down Iranian drones but they are not equipped to track and shoot down ballistic missiles.

Healey said RAF Typhoons were in the air when Iran began its attack on Tuesday night, saying it was “part of the wider effort to prevent further escalation and to show the UK steadfast support for Israel’s right to self defence and to security.”

When asked why the Typhoons did not engage with targets, he said it was because the nature of the attack was different compared with April and that Israel’s own defence dealt with the “massive attack”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK “stands with Israel” and recognises its right to self-defence.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had launched the missiles in retaliation for recent attacks that killed the leaders of the Hezbollah and Hamas militant groups, as well as a senior Iranian commander.

Israel said most of the 180 missiles fired were intercepted.

Mark Savill, military sciences director at the UK defence think tank RUSI, said RAF Typhoon jets are “not well-equipped to shoot down ballistic missiles”.

“It’s possible the UK instead provided intelligence, surveillance or other tracking data,” he said.

Healey thanked British personnel involved for their courage and professionalism.

“The UK stands fully behind Israel’s right to defend its country and its people against threats.”

Healey is meeting some of the British personnel who are in Cyprus preparing for the possibility of evacuating British nationals from Lebanon.

Britons in Lebanon have been advised to register their presence with officials on the government’s website and a UK-chartered plane left Beirut on Wednesday.

The defence secretary said: “We’ve been booking extra seats on commercial flights that are still leaving Beirut airport, and today, we’ve also booked the first special chartered commercial flight out, so those who are wanting to leave and ready to leave and responding to our government urging to leave, can do so and continue to do so.”

But some told the BBC they had received no confirmation or details about their booking on the government-chartered flight, despite paying for a seat.

British citizen Libby, 25, was about to board a commercial flight from Beirut to Cairo on Wednesday morning, and described the situation in the Lebanese capital as “terrifying”.

“You can’t sleep because you can hear the Israeli drones over your head, you wake up in the night because you hear strikes,” she told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

In April British jets shot down a number of drones fired at Israel from Iran.

The drones were intercepted in Syrian and Iraqi airspace, where the RAF was already operating as part of the Operation Shader mission against the Islamic State group.

The decision to use jets in April was taken by the previous Conservative government and supported at the time and since by Sir Keir.

Sir Keir used the address from Downing Street to condemn Iran’s attack on Israel, saying he was “deeply concerned that the region is on the brink”.

“We stand with Israel and we recognise her right to self-defence in the face of this aggression,” he said.

Calling on Iran to stop its attacks, he added: “Together with its proxies like Hezbollah, Iran has menaced the Middle East for far too long, chaos and destruction brought not just to Israel, but to the people they live amongst in Lebanon and beyond.

“Make no mistake, Britain stands full square against such violence. We support Israel’s reasonable demand for the security of its people.”

Sir Keir was on the phone to his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu when the Iranian attacks began.

The two men had been speaking for around 15 minutes – about the prospect of missiles being fired by Tehran – when Netanyahu had to abandon the call because he had been told the attacks were under way.

During their call, Sir Keir also underlined the importance of a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza.

Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak said: “We stand unequivocally by Israel’s right to defend itself including against Hezbollah in Lebanon.”

In his statement, the prime minister repeated his advice to British nationals to leave Lebanon, warning the situation was becoming “increasingly grave”.

He added: “If you have the means to leave, the time is now. Do not wait.”

As of last week, there were thought to be between 4,000 and 6,000 UK nationals, including dependants, in Lebanon.

The missile attack came hours after Israel launched a ground invasion in southern Lebanon, in what it has described as “limited, localised and targeted” raids against Hezbollah.

Lebanese officials say more than 1,000 people have been killed following Israeli air strikes over the past two weeks. Hezbollah has responded by firing hundreds of rockets into northern Israel.

The previously sporadic cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalated on 8 October 2023 – the day after the unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip – when Hezbollah fired at Israeli positions, in solidarity with the Palestinians.