RAF Top Guns were pulled away from protecting Nato from the threat of Vladimir Putin to shoot down Iranian drones heading for Israel.
The Typhoons were redeployed from Romania to defend their ally against Tehran’s barrage on Saturday – stretching British forces across two fronts.
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Six RAF Typhoons began air policing missions in the skies above Nato’s eastern border earlier this month, flying alongside Romanian counterparts.
But as it beca,e clear that Iran intended to strike Israel, Britain redeployed its 1,300mph jets for operations in the Middle East.
Iran attacked Israel with a wave of at least 330 ballistic and cruise missiles and drones – the first ever direct attack by Tehran on its enemy.
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile defence system and its allies warplanes shot down 99 per cent of the projectiles.
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At least four Typhoon fighters took out weapons bound for Israel after scrambling from RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus as soon as Iran launched its aerial attack.
PM Rishi Sunak confirmed on Sunday the £73million jets shot down “a number” of drones launched directly from Iranian soil late on Saturday.
He has condemned Iran’s attack as “reckless” and called for calm, while a joint statement from G7 yesterday also urged caution, fearing an “uncontrollable” war in the region.
Iran’s attack was a major departure from what has been a long-running shadow war between the archenemies and sparked the grim possibility of an all-our war across the region.
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Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron today said the RAF shot down Iranian drones to de-escalate the conflict.
Speaking to the BBC, he called the attack a “double defeat” for Iran and said, if successful, it could have led to thousands of casualties and caused a major escalation.
The PM’s office said the RAF sent Typhoons and tanker aircraft to the region to “bolster our existing operation to combat Daesh (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria under Operation Shader”.
“Those jets shot down a number of one-way Iranian attack drones over Iraq and Syria,” the spokesman said.
The British jets were deployed to “backfill” for the US in the counter-ISIS role, freeing up American warplanes to protect Israel.
But the Government had agreed their mission could also include shooting down Iranian drones targeting Israel that flew through their area of operations.
On the removal of fighters from Romania, the Downing Street spokesman said: “We already have a significant presence in the region.
“But as a prudent measure, we temporarily moved a number of aircraft from Romania to bolster our existing footprint.
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“Allied air forces continue to patrol Nato airspace to ensure it is protected from all threats and we have coordinated with Nato and our allies… to ensure there is no gap in Romania.”
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has argued that 2024 must be an “inflexion point” in how the UK responds to international threats.
“The era of the peace dividend is over,” he has previously warned, stating the growing axis of evil between Russia, China, Iran and North Korea threatens the global security order.
Other Nato allies covered for the RAF in eastern Europe, but the decision has once again pulled the UK’s defence budget under the spotlight with resources stretched around the world’s hotspots.
PM Sunak has committed to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP when conditions allow.
But he is under pressure from the military top brass and senior Tories to go further and faster due to the current level of global insecurity.
Ex-defence secretary Ben Wallace said: “The absurd line, deployed by both political parties that we shall only invest in defence ‘when economic conditions allow’ have been exposed as a political excuse.
“We need to invest as the threat determines. Without such investment our security will be at risk and our forces will be stretched.”
ISRAEL VOWS REVENGE
It comes as Israel’s war cabinet has drawn up plans for a revenge attack after Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone blitz – as world leaders brace for a “catastrophic escalation”.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu called off an immediate retaliation after US President Joe Biden pushed for restraint and warned him to “think carefully” about his next move.
But Israel states it reserves the right to strike Iran “at a manner and time” of its own choosing and told the UN that Iran has “crossed every red line” in its attack.
As the world braces for Israel’s response, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told an emergency Security Council meeting on Sunday: “The Middle East is on the brink.
“The people of the region are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict. Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate.”
PM Rishi Sunak condemned Iran’s attack as “reckless” and called for calm, while a joint statement from G7 yesterday also urged caution, fearing an “uncontrollable” war in the region.
But the question on everyone’s lips is how will Israel choose to respond.
The Sun also told of the five major ways Israel may choose to respond – from fighter jet blitz on Tehran’s nuclear facilities to a submarine strike or large-scale cyberattacks.
IRAN RESPONDS TO FRESH THREATS
However, Iran has today vowed to launch ten times the amount of missiles in a fresh strike against Israel if it unleashes a retaliatory hit.
An attack ten times the size would see over 3,300 weapons hurled at Israel, including more than 1,400 missiles.
The IDF has approved plans for “offensive” action against Iran and Netanyahu’s war cabinet met for the second time today to deliberate.
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Government spokesman David Mencer said afterwards the country “retains all its options”.
He said: “We reserve the right to do everything in our power, and we will do everything in our power to defend this country.”
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Source: Sun
