British troops were involved in an operation to “prevent further escalation in the Middle East”, the Defense Secretary has confirmed, after Iran launched a missile attack on Israel.
In a statement, John Healey condemned the attack but gave no further details about the role Britain had played in responding to it.
In April, British fighter jets shot down a number of drones fired at Israel from Iran.
In the latest attack on Tuesday evening, the Israeli military said about 180 rockets were fired from Iran, most of which were intercepted.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched the missiles in retaliation for recent attacks that killed the leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas, as well as a senior Iranian commander.
Mr Healey said: “British forces have played their part tonight in efforts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East.
‘I would like to thank all British personnel involved in the operation for their courage and professionalism.
“The United Kingdom fully supports Israel’s right to defend its land and people from threats.”
Earlier, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer used a televised address from Downing Street to condemn the Iranian attack on Israel, saying he is “deeply concerned that the region is on the brink of collapse”.
“We stand with Israel and recognize its right to self-defense in the face of this aggression,” he said.
Sir Keir called on Iran to stop its attacks, saying: ‘Along with its allies like Hezbollah, Iran has threatened the Middle East for far too long. past.
“Make no mistake: Britain stands squarely against such violence. We support Israel’s reasonable demand for the security of its people.”
Sir Keir was on the phone with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu when the Iranian attacks began.
The two men had spoken for about 15 minutes — about the prospect of rockets being fired by Tehran — when Netanyahu had to abandon the call after being told the strikes were underway.
During their call, Sir Keir also underlined the importance of a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza.
Conservative party leader Rishi Sunak said: “We unequivocally support Israel’s right to defend itself, including against Hezbollah in Lebanon.”
In his statement, the Prime Minister reiterated his advice to British nationals to leave Lebanon, warning that the situation was becoming “increasingly serious”.
He added: “If you have the means to leave, now is the time. Don’t wait.”
Britons in Lebanon have been advised to register their presence with officials on the government website and a British-chartered plane will leave Beirut on Wednesday.
But some told the BBC they had not received confirmation or details about their booking on the government-chartered flight, despite paying for a seat.
Last week it was estimated that between 4,000 and 6,000 British nationals, including family members, were in Lebanon.
The rocket attack came hours after Israel launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon in what it has described as “limited, localized and targeted” attacks against the armed group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran.
Lebanese officials say more than a thousand people have been killed in the past two weeks as a result of Israeli airstrikes. Hezbollah has responded by firing hundreds of rockets into northern Israel.
The previously sporadic cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalated on October 8, 2023 – the day after the unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip – when Hezbollah fired on Israeli positions in solidarity with the Palestinians.
