Israel Iran attack live updates: Tel Aviv vows to ‘exact a price’ after downing drone and missile attack from Tehran

Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry expressed the need for restraint in phone calls with his counterparts Iran and Israel on Sunday, Egypt said.

Mr Shoukry called on his Iranian and Israeli counterparts “to exercise utmost self-restraint and refrain from provocations that would increase tension and instability in the region,” a foreign ministry statement said.

Egypt is ready to intensify its efforts to defuse the current crisis, “which has begun taking a dangerous turn as it coincides with the crisis in the Gaza Strip and adds tension to other hot spots in the region,” the statement added.

Mr Shoukry also held a call on Sunday with US secretary of state Anthony Blinken to discuss “what has become a serious threat to the security and stability” of the Middle East after Iran launched drones and missile on Israel early on Sunday.

Turkish, Jordanian and Iraqi officials have said that Iran gave wide notice days before Saturday’s attack on Israel, allowing mass casualties and rampant escalation to be averted – but a US official denied this.

Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Sunday that Iran had given neighbouring countries and Washington 72 hours’ notice that it would launch the strikes. Turkey’s foreign ministry said it had also spoken to both Washington and Tehran prior to the attack.

“Iran said the reaction would be a response to Israel’s attack on its embassy in Damascus and that it would not go beyond this. We were aware of the possibilities. The developments were not a surprise,” a Turkish diplomatic source told Reuters.

But a senior Washington official rejected Mr Amirabdollahian’s statement, saying Washington had had contact with Iran through Swiss intermediaries but did not get 72 hours’ notice.

“That is absolutely not true,” the official told Reuters. “They did not give a notification, nor did they give any sense of … ‘these will be the targets, so evacuate them’.”

Tehran sent the United States a message only after the strikes began, and the intent was to be “highly destructive” said the official, speculating that Iran was saying it had given notice in order to cover embarrassment at the attack’s failure.

However, Iraqi, Turkish and Jordanian officials each said Iran had provided early warning of the attack last week, including some details.

Britain’s foreign secretary David Cameron has summoned the charge d’affaires of the Iranian embassy to the Foreign Office following Tehran’s “profoundly dangerous” attack on Israel, according to a statement from the department.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The Foreign Secretary summoned the charge d’affaires of the Iranian embassy today.

“The UK condemns in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel, as well as their violation of Jordan and Iraq’s airspace. At a time of great tension in the Middle East, this was a profoundly dangerous and unnecessary escalation by Iran.

“The UK calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the civilian ship MSC Aries and its crew, which was seized by Iranian armed forces yesterday in international waters. The Iranian authorities must take meaningful and immediate action to de-escalate and halt its reckless and unlawful behaviour.

“The UK will continue to stand up for Israel’s security and the security of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. We will also continue to work with our international partners to protect and uphold stability in the region.”

Asked what he believes Iran’s intentions were with last night’s attack, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said: “Last night was the proof that Iran seeks escalation. Iran launched over 350 threats … towards Israel, and also other countries in the region could have got that threat on the way.

“Iran doesn’t just pose a threat to Israel, Iran poses a threat to the entire Middle East. Iran yesterday seized a ship in the maritime domain. She hijacked a Western innocent cargo ship towards Iran. This is a crime, this is piracy. Iran closed the aerial space yesterday firing all those threats towards Israel. Iran, from the beginning of the war, wants only one thing – to escalate the region.

“Until now, she worked through her proxies, but now she revealed … trying to escalate the region herself.”

Iran’s attack last night consisted of around 350 drones, missiles and rockets sent from Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, the IDF has said.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari told a press conference: “Iran and its proxies launched approximately 350 suicide drones, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and rockets from Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon towards Israel, with approximately 60 tonnes of warheads and explosive materials.

“But the threat from Iran was met.”

Asked if Israel has decided to attack in retaliation, an IDF spokesperson told reporters: “We are at a high level of preparedness in all sectors and we’re prepared for all kinds of developments.

“We have plans both for the offensive and the defensive. We are on the alert, but I’m not going to add anything beyond that at this point. We have one job and one job only – to defend the safety of Israeli citizens.”

Israel has insisted that the air base struck in Iran’s attack remains fully operational, and claimed aircraft continued to use it to carry out offensive and defensive missions “throughout the night”.

“Iran wanted to harm strategic infrastructure and therefore it conducted such extensive launches while trying to target the Nevatim air force base,” IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari told reporters.

“Their plan failed. Out of hundreds of launches, only a few missiles managed to enter Israeli airspace and cause some very light damage to the infrastructure of this air force base. It continued to function as aircrafts continued to land and take off, carrying out offensive and defensive missions throughout the night and day.

“It is in full operational capability. And of course we are continuing to fight in Gaza as well, our forces are fighting in the central region camps and we’re going to call up two additional reserve brigades which will join the fighting.

“Even after this 24 hours and despite the operational success, we do not forget, not for one minute, the 133 hostages who are still being held captive in the Gaza Strip. Bringing back the hostages is our profound duty, we will not miss any opportunity to bring them back home.

“This is our responsibility. We maintain a high level of preparedness and alertness. The IDF is readily prepared for any developments, both in the offensive and defensive.”

Israel has accused Iran and its proxies of having “risked the entire Middle East” with its attack last night.

Speaking at a live press conference, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said it followed “a very complicated and successful air fight in which the IDF, together with a very strong regional coalition, prevented and thwarted the Iranian attack.

“Iran and its proxies – [in] Iraq, Yemen, Hezbollah and Lebanon – have risked the entire Middle East and put it to a halt. Iran blocked yesterday the airspace of the countries in the region while it launched about 350 different kinds of launches.

“We are talking about 60 tonnes of warheads and explosives which could have created immense damage to every country in the region. The Iranian threat encountered [the] technological, operational and intel supremacy of the IDF, led by the Israeli air force.

“Dozens of fighter jets along with Israeli air defence systems, together with the regional coalition led by the US, Britain, France and additional countries from the region, we intercepted 99 per cent of the threats.

“This is the first time such an international coalition operates against the Iranian threat and its proxies from throughout the Middle East.”

The leaders of the G7 have said they “unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel” and said they “stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilising initiatives”.

In a statement, they said: “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 stabilise 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 destabilising 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.