British forces were involved in thwarting Iran’s missile attack on Israel, the British Defense Secretary has suggested.

In a carefully worded statement on Tuesday evening, John Healey said: “British forces have played their part tonight in efforts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East.”

The statement did not go into military details about how British forces may have helped counter the barrage of 180 ballistic missiles launched by Iran in an attack that caused limited damage.

US defense officials confirmed that US destroyers shot down several missiles launched by Iran in the eastern Mediterranean. And following a similar attack by Iran on Israel in April, it was later confirmed that RAF Typhoons, from Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus, had shot down Iranian drones.

Healey visits Cyprus to meet troops preparing for the possibility of evacuating British citizens from Lebanon.

The Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said on Tuesday evening that he was “deeply concerned that the region is on the brink of collapse”, and again urged British nationals in Lebanon to leave, amid escalating violence in the country. Middle East.

In a televised statement from Downing Street, Starmer said Iran “has threatened the Middle East for far too long” and called on the country to “stop these attacks”.

“We stand with Israel and recognize its right to self-defense in the face of this aggression,” he said.

“Iran must stop these attacks. Together with allies such as Hezbollah, Iran has threatened the Middle East for far too long. Chaos and destruction have affected not only Israel, but also the people they live among in Lebanon and beyond.

“Make no mistake: Britain stands squarely against such violence. We support Israel’s reasonable demand for the security of its people.”

Iran said it launched the attacks in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut last week, the Associated Press reported.

The escalation came after Israel launched a ground offensive in Lebanon and carried out what it described as “limited, localized” operations.

The Iranian attack on Israel began while Starmer was speaking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, Downing Street previously said.

In his statement on Tuesday evening, Starmer said he was “deeply concerned that the region is on the brink” and “deeply concerned about the risk of miscalculation”.

He reiterated advice to Britons in Lebanon to leave, saying: “We are doing everything we can to get people out, but the situation is extremely volatile.”

A chartered flight to get Brits out of the country will depart from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday, at a cost of £350 per seat.

Lebanon’s Middle East Airlines, the only commercial airline still flying from Beirut, has a regular scheduled flight to Britain on Wednesday.

Iran’s attack on Israel has drawn condemnation from British political leaders.