Iran-Israel attack live: Tel Aviv warns conflict ‘not over yet’ after downing drones and missiles from Tehran

Rishi Sunak is expected to join US President Joe Biden on the call on Sunday amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike.

Ms Atkins was asked whether the Cabinet was consulted before RAF planes were deployed to protect Israel agains the Iran attack when she appeared on BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme today.

She replied: “Of course there are relevant Cabinet ministers in that (Cobra) meeting.”

Iran notified its neighbours of its strikes on Israel 72 hours in advance, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Sunday.

“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.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said of Iran’s attack on Israel: “This was a dangerous and unnecessary attack.”

“It’s clear that Iran is determined to sew discord” in the region “in their own back yard”, he added.

“If (the attack was) successful the fallout for regional stability would be hard to overstate.”

Rishi Sunak said he chaired a Cobra meeting with Cabinet ministers on Friday to “agree a plan of action” over Iran’s attack on Israel, as the Prime Minister confirmed additional RAF pilots were sent to the region.

He said the UK already has a military presence in the Middle East as part of its operations against the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Mr Sunak said he will be meeting with G7 leaders later this afternoon.

Speaking from Downing Street, Rishi Sunak said: “I want to pay tribute to the bravery of our pilots.”

He said lives were saved “not just in Israel, but in neighbouring countries such as Jordan as well”.

“I can confirm that our pilots did shoot down a number of Iranian attack drones.”

He said Iran sent both missiles and attack drones and did not specify how many were shot down by RAF forces.

G7 leaders are to hold urgent talks after Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that saw RAF jets deployed to shoot down drones from Tehran.

Rishi Sunak is expected to join US President Joe Biden on the call on Sunday amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counter-strike.

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

Israel’s war cabinet is due to meet at 3:30pm (12:30pm GMT) to discuss a response to the drone and missile attack launched by Iran overnight, an Israeli official said.

Iran launched dozens of missiles and drones toward Israel in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Residents reported seeing missiles in the sky and hearing explosions, likely from interceptions above the Jordanian capital.

The Israeli military says Iran fired more than 100 bomb-carrying drones toward Israel.

Hours later, Iran announced it had also launch much more destructive ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.

Iran had been threatening to attack Israel after an airstrike earlier this week widely blamed on Israel destroyed Iran’s consulate in Syria, killing 12 people, including two elite Iranian generals.

The health secretary has been tight-lipped about the UK response to Iran when asked whether the Cabinet was consulted before RAF planes were deployed to protect Israel.

Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, the Health Secretary said: “Of course there are relevant Cabinet ministers in that (Cobra) meeting.

“You will appreciate the circle of knowledge on this has to be very, very tight because of the sensitivities and the danger that is involved for everyone in the region.”

Asked whether the Government would proscribe the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, she said: “We keep all of these issues under constant review.”

Ms Atkins said she is “not in a position to confirm or deny” whether British jets have already shot down Iranian drones.

Labour has backed the UK Government action taken overnight to help protect Israel.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “Let’s be clear, we support the existing Government missions in the Middle East and continue to do so.

“That is important. We also think that it is important that action was taken overnight to prevent the Iranian strikes on Israel because we should be clear that if action hadn’t been taken to prevent those strikes, we would have seen further escalation and further risk of widening conflict.”