RAF jets “played their part” in defending Israel when Iran bombarded Jerusalem and Tel Aviv with around 200 ballistic missiles, The Telegraph understands.
John Healey, the Defence Secretary, said British forces had helped intercept the attack and “played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation”. He did not provide further details.
According to the BBC, UK fighter jets were involved in the operation, as they were in April when Iran launched a similar attack on Israel.
Mr Healey thanked British personnel who were involved in the operation for their courage and professionalism.
He said: “The UK stands fully behind Israel’s right to defend its country and its people against threats.”
On Wednesday, Mr Healey will visit Cyprus to meet some of the British personnel preparing for the possibility of evacuating British nationals from Lebanon.
Britons in Lebanon have been told to register their presence with officials on the government’s website. A UK-chartered plane is set to leave Beirut on Wednesday.
Starmer ‘stands with Israel’
Responding on Tuesday to Iran’s attack, Sir Keir Starmer said the UK “stands with Israel” and recognises its right to self-defence.
It comes after a similar operation in April involving British jets. The RAF intercepted drones in Syrian and Iraqi airspace, where it was present as part of the Operation Shader mission against the Islamic State group.
The previous government took the decision to use British jets and this was supported by Sir Keir at the time.
Following the latest attack, Sir Keir condemned Iran’s attack on Israel, saying he was “deeply concerned that the region is on the brink”.
He said: “We stand with Israel and we recognise her right to self-defence in the face of this aggression.”
The Prime Minister 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.”
Iran said that it attacked Israel with hypersonic missiles for the first time and that the attack was in revenge for the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Iranian-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.