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Royal Marines are poised to lead a ‘Dunkirk-style’ evacuation of thousands of UK nationals from the Middle East after Iran launched a huge drone and missile attack against Israel last night.
Commandos have already conducted reconnaissance along the Lebanese coastline ahead of a potential maritime rescue mission.
The daring mission – reminiscent of the huge effort to evacuate 338,000 British troops stranded in France by the Germans during the opening salvo of the Second World War in 1940 – was exclusively revealed by the Mail on Friday.
It came a day before Tehran launched a huge aerial bombardment on Saturday evening, which was in retaliation of a deadly consul blast an an Iranian embassy in Syria that killed 13 people
Speaking exclusively to the Mail earlier this week, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed he ‘stands ready’ to assist any Britons trapped in the region.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps on a visit to Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire, to tour the base and meet troops
One video shared with MailOnline showed the Iron Dome intercepting a missile
Around a hundred drones and missiles were fired at Israel
The Foreign Office has already advised all UK citizens to leave Lebanon.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said there remained a ‘serious threat’ of attack while it was reported that Iran had sent a message to Washington warning them against the involvement of US troops in the region.
The evacuation plans, codenamed Operation Meteoric, will be spearheaded by the UK’s ‘Green Berets’ and supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
The Mail has been told a party of Marines from 30 Commando arrived in the region in recent days.
Operation Meteoric has been likened to Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of allied soldiers from Dunkirk in 1940 when they were surrounded by German forces.
Israel and its allies remain braced for a huge Iranian response to the attack on its Syrian consulate earlier this month, which left 13 dead, including a senior Iranian commander.
While Israel has not claimed responsibility for the blast it is widely considered to have been behind it.
Iran’s response may also involve the heavily armed military group Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon.
Tonight, intelligence reports suggested the retaliation could include more than 100 drones, dozens of cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.
Such a scenario would likely lead to civilian ‘air bridges’ shutting down – hence the need for a maritime solution.
Defence Minister Grant Shapps confirmed he ‘stands ready’ to assist any Britons trapped in the region
Commandos have already conducted reconnaissance along the Lebanese coastline ahead of a potential maritime rescue mission
The Royal Navy’s new minehunting ‘mothership’, RFA Stirling Castle, which has recently arrived at its new home on the Clyde
The Mail has been told how the preparatory work behind Operation Meteoric was conducted by the Royal Marines’ Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS).
They studied stretches of the Lebanese coastline and selected potential locations for such a rescue mission.
Stranded civilians would be ferried from beaches in raiding craft to Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ships in the eastern Mediterranean.
While it is understood Iran is eager to avoid direct engagement with UK forces, RAF Typhoon jets based in Cyprus could provide ‘top cover’.
Earlier this week, Mr Shapps told the Mail: ‘UK nationals in the region will be concerned by what Iran is threatening to do. So we stand ready to assist them.
‘There are plans, but they cannot be discussed for security reasons.’
About 100 drones were reportedly launched from Iran last night – with dramatic footage revealing the moment some were shoot down above the city of Jerusalem.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said via state media: ‘The aerospace unit of the Revolutionary Guards has attacked targets in Israel with dozens of drones and missiles in reaction to the Zionist regime’s crimes, including the attack on the consulate section of Iran’s embassy in Damascus and martyring our commanders and military advisers in Syria.’
Missiles entered Israeli airspace just before midnight local time, with images from international media revealing missiles being intercepted by the Iron Dome system above Jerusalem, in Israel’s east.
Blasts were also heard in Jericho in the occupied West Bank, while the Israeli army said it had sounded sirens in the southern Negev region.
Iranian media reported that Tehran has also launched its first round of ballistic missiles towards Israel, which have an even shorter flight time than the cruise missiles. A third wave of drones has now been launched at Israel.
Yemen-based Houthis have also claimed to have shot ‘dozens’ of rockets towards an IDF base in the north-east of Israel. it is not currently known if the Houthi attacks are linked to Iran’s salvo.
The UK, among Israel’s closest allies, and other nations have reportedly begun to support Israel by sending fighter jets to shoot down the drones and missiles. US officials added that their military also intercepted drones and missiles heading to Israel.
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