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France, US, Britain help down Iran missiles fired at Israel
Britain has a major military base in Cyprus and its fighter jets were involved in supporting Israel
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, on October 1, 2024. — Reuters
France said on Wednesday it had mobilised its military resources in the Middle East to counter what it called the Iranian threat and Germany warned the region risked being set on fire after Tehran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel.
"France condemns the attack on Israel by ballistic missiles fired from Iran. It reiterates its absolute commitment to the security of Israel. It participated through its military means in the Middle East to counter the Iranian threat," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
It gave no further details on what role it had played in countering the Iranian attack, but an official said France had participated on Tuesday night to stop Iranian missiles.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke to his US counterpart Antony Blinken to coordinate diplomatic efforts and will hold talks in Berlin with his counterpart on Wednesday.
The French ministry said it had convened a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the situation in the Middle East on Wednesday afternoon.
Paris sent a warship for the eastern Mediterranean on Tuesday after a helicopter carrier set off on Monday to position itself in case of mass evacuations.
The Pentagon said on Tuesday that two US Navy destroyers fired about a dozen interceptors against Iranian missiles aimed at Israel.
Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder told reporters that no other US military assets were used to shoot down the missiles, which were all fired from inside Iran.
UK armed forces "played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation" as Iran fired a barrage of missiles at Israel late Tuesday, British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
Britain has a major military base in Cyprus and UK fighter jets were involved in supporting Israel during Tuesday night's attack, British media reported.
The UK performed a similar role in April, when Iran last attacked Israel with missiles and drones, with reports then that Royal Air Force (RAF) jets helped to shoot down some of the drones.
In a statement late Tuesday, Healey condemned Iran's latest actions.
"British forces have this evening played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East," he added.
"I want to thank all British personnel involved in the operation for their courage and professionalism.
"The UK stands fully behind Israel's right to defend its country and its people against threats."
Healey was on Wednesday set to visit Cyprus to meet UK troops who are also preparing for the possibility of evacuating British citizens from Lebanon.
The UK government has chartered a plane which is due to fly its citizens out of Lebanon on Wednesday.
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