Sunak says UK shot down a number of Iranian drones

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed that UK military jets shot down “a number of Iranian attack drones" during an attack on Israel.

Sunak says the Royal Air Force sent additional planes to the Middle East to help intercept airborne strikes after Tehran announced it had launched an assault on Saturday.

“It's clear that Iran is determined to sow discontent and destabilize the region, its own backyard,” Sunak told the BBC on Sunday. “If this attack had been successful, the fallout for regional security would be hard to overstate.” Sunak is expected to hold an urgent call with US President Joe Biden and other Group of Seven leaders later Sunday.

UK Defence Minister Grant Shapps also posted on X that British warplanes “intercepted and destroyed multiple one-way attack drones” and that all aircraft involved "returned safely to base”.