Iran-Israel conflict LIVE | US denies Tehran gave prior notice about attack

Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, in a press conference said his country notified the United States before launching the strike against Israel.

“Early Sunday in a message to the White House we announced that our operation would be limited and minimalistic and aimed at legitimate defence and punishing the Israeli regime," Amirabdollahian said.

Tehran's top diplomat also said the limited Iranian attacks would not target civilians or economic areas: “In our response, we defined no response against civilian targets. Our armed forces targeted no economic or populated areas.”

Amirabdollahian said the strike’s goal was to punish the Israeli regime and it was a legitimate act of defence by Iranian forces:

“Our goal in this legitimate act of defence is simply punishing the Israeli regime. We are not after American individuals or bases in the region”, Amirabdollahian said.

The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Sunday said Iran's unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel was a “legitimate act” that came in response to an airstrike on Iran's consulate in Syria that was widely blamed on Israel.

Writing on the messaging app Telegram, Mohamed Abdel Salam, spokesman for the Houthis, said Israel “won't be able to escape its crimes without punishment”.

The Houthis, who control the Yemeni capital and much of the country's north, have repeatedly launched attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war. They also fired missiles and explosives-laden drones towards Israel.

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides says the east Mediterranean island nation “wasn't in anyway involved” in any military action to thwart Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attack against Israel.

Christodoulides told reporters Sunday that aircraft had arrived in Cyprus “from neighbouring countries” late Saturday. He said they would depart Sunday.

Asked if the UK had informed the Cypriot government ahead of time that any of its warplanes from a British air base on the island would be involved in intercepting the Iranian attack, Christodoulides said there was no forewarning.

The UK's two military bases on Cyprus — including the larger air base RAF Akrotiri —- are British sovereign territory and don't require the Cypriot government's permission to launch any military action. But normally, the UK does brief the Cypriot government of any impending action as a courtesy.

The Cypriot president said his foreign minister spoke with his British counterpart only after the fact.

He added that he's hoping there's no further escalation because his government doesn't believe that “any problems are solved through such aggressive acts”.

German airline Lufthansa said on Sunday that it had suspended regular flights to and from Tel Aviv, Amman and Erbil through Monday. It said it plans to serve those destinations again starting Tuesday, but that flights to Beirut and Tehran will remain suspended until at least Thursday.

Lufthansa said it was monitoring and assessing the security situation in the Middle East and was in close contact with authorities.

“The safety of our passengers and crews always has top priority,” it said in an emailed statement.

Lufthansa, Europe's biggest airline group, announced on Friday that its planes were avoiding Iranian airspace.

The British government says it has moved “several additional” fighter jets and refuelling tankers to the region, following Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel.

In a statement on Sunday, the British government said the air assets will bolster the UK's existing operation against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq as well as intercepting “any airborne attacks within the range of our existing missions, as required”.

Asked by The Associated Press whether the additional jets have been transferred to the UK's air base in Cyprus, a spokesperson said a “number of aircraft” have been “temporarily moved” from Romania to bolster our existing footprint in the region. The official didn't disclose the exact location for “reasons of operational security”.

Israel said Sunday that 99 per cent of more than 300 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles Iran had launched were intercepted.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Iran's attack on Israel, drawing parallels to the war ravaging his own country where Russia has also used Iran-made drones.

“We in Ukraine know very well the horror of similar attacks by Russia, which uses the same Shahed drones and Russian missiles, the same tactics of mass air strikes," he said.

“Every effort must be made to prevent a further escalation in the Middle East. Iran's actions threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russia's actions threaten a larger conflict, and the obvious collaboration between the two regimes in spreading terror must face a resolute and united response from the world,” he said in a post on X.

“It is critical that the United States Congress make the necessary decisions to strengthen America's allies at this critical time,” Zelenskyy said.

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”.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says the Iranian attack on Israel had brought the region “to the edge of the abyss”.

“With its aggressive behaviour, with which it wants to destabilize a whole region, Iran is isolated. And Israel's capabilities have shown that Israel is strong, Israel can defend itself,” Baerbock said in Berlin.

“I call on all actors in the region to act prudently. The escalatory spiral must be broken. We must together find a way to end the violence,” Baerbock said.

She said Germany and its allies were discussing “consequences” following the Iranian attack, without elaborating.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking to reporters during a trip to China, said he would take part in a meeting of G7 leaders later Sunday.

“We will do everything to prevent a further escalation,” Scholz said. “We can only warn everyone, especially Iran, against continuing in this way.” Scholz is due to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said his country has no intention of continuing the military operation against Israel.

“At this juncture, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no intention of continuing defensive operations,” he posted on X, and added: “But, if necessary, it will not hesitate to protect its legitimate interests against any new aggression.”

Amirabdollahian called the attack “exercising the right of legitimate defence” and said it shows Iran's responsible approach to “regional and international peace and security”.

Pope Francis urged Iran and Israel in his Sunday's prayer to avoid new actions that could spark “a spiral of violence” and drag the Middle East deeper into conflict.

“I follow in prayer and with concern, even pain, the news that came in the last few hours about the aggravation of the situation in Israel, due to the intervention by Iran,” Francis said, addressing pilgrims from the window overlooking St. Peter's Square.

The pontiff made another “heartfelt appeal” to immediately stop any action that could further intensify the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“No one should threaten the existence of others. Instead, all nations should side with peace and help Israelis and Palestinians to live in two States side by side, in safety,” he added. “Enough war, enough attacks, enough violence. Yes to dialogue, yes to peace." The pope has often called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, asking conflicting parties to follow the path of negotiations.