Image source, Reuters

Today we've already heard from the Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron and we'll very shortly hear from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about the attack Iran launched against Israel on Saturday night.

They've both defended the UK's involvement in the conflict – it was one of several countries, including the US, which helped counter Iran's attack.

The Ministry of Defence said attack drones were intercepted by the RAF in Syrian and Iraqi airspace, where it was already operating as part of the Operation Shader mission against the Islamic State group.

Sunak yesterday labelled Iran's attack as "reckless", called for de-escalation and "calm heads", and pledged the UK's continued support for the security of Israel and the wider region.

Earlier today, Cameron praised the bravery and skill of the RAF pilots and called on Israel to think with its "head not its hearts" when deciding next steps.

Netanyahu invites opposition heads to security briefingpublished at 15:27 British Summer Time 15 April

15:27 BST 15 April

Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent reporting from Jerusalem

We have just heard that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited, in an unusual move, the heads of all the opposition parties to a security briefing in Tel Aviv.

This is going to heighten the speculation about what kind of discussion is being conducted inside that war cabinet which has been tasked with making the decision about what Israel should do next.

Israeli media are talking about some heated debates and about a division with some of the former army chiefs including Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, arguing for a swift and forceful response which sends a very clear signal and firmly establishes Israeli deterrence.

Others are arguing that this is a moment when Israel is enjoying strong backing from the international community and it should take time to solidify this coalition.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is preparing to give a statement to the House of Commons about Britain's role in helping repel an Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel over the weekend.

Stay with us as we'll bring you live updates from his speech.

You can also watch live by pressing the play button at the top of this page.

The Czech Republic has summoned the country's Iranian ambassador following Iran's attack on Israel on Saturday.

"The Czech diplomacy made it clear to Iran that it has crossed all the lines by attacking Israel," Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky posted on X.

"The Iranian regime is endangering the security situation in the region."

It comes after Germany and Jordan also summoned their Iranian ambassadors, which we've reported on here.

Image source, Reuters

Israel is continuing its discussions of next steps and has not yet decided what course of action it will take, a spokesperson for the Israeli government tells the BBC's Newshour programme.

Avi Hyman says Israel is currently monitoring the situation and holding a war cabinet meeting.

"We, like any sovereign democracy, will decide the best course of action," he says.

"That course of action hasn't been decided, but I'll remind you that it was us who were running to the bomb shelters on Saturday night, it was our children that we were hugging on to, as missiles were exploding over our heads," he adds.

Sameer Hashmi
Middle East business correspondent, reporting from Riyadh

Image source, Getty Images

Oil prices did not move much over the weekend after Iran’s reprisal attack as oil markets were already anticipating a reaction from Tehran.

Last week, prices had already risen with Brent crude - the global benchmark for oil prices - touching its highest levels since October on Friday. But on Monday, it dipped below $90 a barrel, indicating that the markets were not expecting further escalation for now.

However, energy analysts say the attack has raised concerns about possible disruption to global oil supply. The direction of the markets would depend on Israel’s next move. Oil prices could surge if Tel Aviv decides to initiate a strong action.

Iran is the third-largest producer in oil cartel, Opec, with a capacity to pump three million barrels of oil per day. Any disruption in its production or an attack on Iran could send oil prices higher.

High fuel and energy prices were one of the biggest reasons for the rising cost of living in the past couple of years. In 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, oil prices soared to $120 a barrel over supply fears as western nations slapped sanctions on Russia, one of the world's major oil exporters.

As we reported, Israel's war cabinet are meeting to discuss how the country might respond to Iran's attack on Saturday.

While we wait to hear what has been discussed, let's take a look again at what was in the wave of Iranian attacks and how were they thwarted.

These strikes mark the first time ever that the country's fired at Israeli territory.

In the middle of Saturday night, air raid alerts went off in Israel and residents were urged to seek shelter while explosions were heard as air defences were activated.

Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles, the Israeli military said the next day - including 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles. The shortest distance from Iran to Israel is about 1,000km (620 miles) across Iraq, Syria and Jordan.

Interceptions lit up the night sky in several places across the country, while many of the strikes were shot down by Israel's allies before they reached Israeli territory.

At least nine countries were involved in the military escalation - with projectiles fired from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen and downed by Israel, the US, the UK and France as well as Jordan.

• For more about the attacks, head to our explainer here

Image source, .

The amount of aid aid getting into Gaza has increased in the last few days, according to US national security spokesman John Kirby.

"And quite dramatically," Kirby has told MSNBC, adding that deliveries must be "sustained".

It comes as Cogat, the Israeli government body facilitating aid deliveries to Gaza, says a new crossing has been used to deliver food aid in northern Gaza. It adds that a convoy entered the region via the new northern crossing, and that it helped coordinate 102 food aid trucks to northern Gaza.

Earlier this month, in the days that followed seven aid workers being killed in Gaza by an Israeli strike, Kirby told the world's media that the White House expected to see Israel make changes to the situation in Gaza in "the coming hours and days".

Image source, Getty Images

Airline passengers are facing cancellations or disruption to flights to Israel and surrounding countries after Iran's airstrikes at the weekend.

Israel closed its airspace on Saturday evening after Iran launched its first-ever direct assault on the country. It reopened its airspace early on Sunday morning as did Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon, which had stopped flights for a period.

EasyJet has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv up to and including 21 April.

Wizz Air said it would resume journeys to Israel on 16 April after stopping flights to Tel Aviv on Sunday and Monday but warned of schedule changes.

• Read the full story here

Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

Israel’s military is said to have presented a range of options for potential strikes against Iran – with the war cabinet now weighing them up in a meeting scheduled to have begun now.

An Israeli source has been briefing the media that Israel cannot allow such a large attack – involving more than 300 drones and missiles, launched directly from Iran for the first time – to pass without some kind of response.

Some Israeli politicians argue that a powerful message needs to be sent so that Iran doesn’t repeat its action.

However, key figures in the war cabinet have also been stressing the opportunity to strengthen the “strategic alliance” against the threat from Iran – building on the support shown by the US, the UK, Jordan and other allies in thwarting the attack.

During the assault, Israel says Iran tried to attack strategically important infrastructure including the Nevatim air force base – where it keeps its stealth fighter jets – but that it failed to have an impact.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel says four of its soldiers have been injured, one severely, in an explosion overnight in the "border area" to the north with Lebanon.

Lebanon's Hezbollah, which has frequently clashed with Israeli forces in the north, says its forces detonated explosive devices after Israeli soldiers crossed into Lebanese territory.

Israel's military did not confirm whether its forces had entered Lebanon.

Hezbollah is a Lebanese Shia Muslim militant group with close ties to Iran and an ally of Hamas. It has been trading cross-border fire with Israel on an almost daily basis since war erupted between Israel and Hamas.

We're expecting to hear from UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this afternoon, who will be delivering a statement on Iran's attack on Israel.

In the meantime, we've just got some comments from Sunak's spokesperson, who says the PM rejects Iran's assertion that it gave advanced warning of the attack on Israel.

Yesterday Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that Iran gave neighbouring countries, and Israel's ally the United States, 72 hours' notice that it would launch the strikes.

"I would reject that characterisation," Sunak's spokesman tells reporters.

"And more broadly we condemn in the strongest possible terms their direct attack against Israel."

The involvement of Israel's allies in helping defend Israel from Iran's attack on Saturday allowed both countries "a face-saving way out" of the escalating violence, says Mohammad Ali Shabani, editor of Amwaj media, which provides in-depth analyses of the region.

He tells the BBC that Iran has been able to claim victory by saying it took unprecedented action against Israel, but that Israel could also claim victory by saying that it defended most of the attack.

He says Iran's attack was carefully choreographed and telegraphed in advance, but things will be very different if things escalate.

"There will be no advanced warning, there will be no choreographing, drones probably will not only be launched from Iran and most importantly of all, Iran's regional allies will also participate, and in such a scenario I think very easily a group such as Hezbollah in Lebanon can overwhelm the Israeli air defences," he says.

Both Germany and Jordan have summoned their Iranian ambassadors following Iran's attack on Israel on Saturday.

Jordan's summoning followed what the country's foreign minister called “offensive statements” by Iranian media after the kingdom’s interception of Iranian projectiles alongside the US, UK and France over the weekend.

The Iranian government yesterday summoned the German, French and British envoys over how they responded to Iran's attack on Israel over the weekend.

Former Nato analyst Dr Patrick Bury has been speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live about Iran's drone and missile attacks on Israel on Saturday.

Israel normally responds to its security issues by saying, “we need to be tough", Bury says.

"Their thinking is this is an act of war," he says, adding that Israel probably doesn't "know themselves yet" how they'll respond.

Bury says he “doesn’t know” how Israel could respond but adds that a "cyber attack, covert-action [or] assassinations” have been methods used by Israel in the past.

Bury also says there has been a widening chasm between Israel and the US over the Gaza war, and the attack by Iran, is a "win win" for Israel as it has "forced the US back into the Israeli orbit more".

Rushdi Abualouf
Gaza correspondent

Image source, TikTok/@Husen.Auda

Markets in northern Gaza are witnessing a good recovery after Israel opened the Erez crossing - one of two new humanitarian routes - and allowed the entry of goods, including medicines and fuel.

A video posted to TikTok shows a man grilling meat and chicken in a restaurant in Jabalia camp, which has opened its doors for the first time in six months.

In the clip, local activist Hussein Odeh says: “Grills with their delicious smell have returned again after the availability of meat and chicken at slightly high prices, but they are not comparable to before. It is 55 shekels (£12) for a kilo of frozen veal now.”

In another video, Odeh adds: "Life has gradually begun to return to the main camp market. There are many food products, vegetables, fruits and meat. Prices have begun to decrease after the opening of the Erez crossing."

Correction: This post says aid got into Gaza via the recently opened Erez crossing, but aid trucks actually entered via an opening made in nearby fencing. Erez itself is not currently officially functioning.

Image source, EPA

If you're just joining us, or need a recap of the latest news lines, here's what you need to know after Iran launched about 300 weapons at Israel overnight on Saturday, most of which were intercepted, in a widely-anticipated retaliatory attack:

• Israel's Western allies, including France, Germany and Britain, have appealed for Israel to show restraint, warning over further escalation in the region
• Russia, which is more closely aligned with Iran, also warned that further escalation is "in no one's interests", as China's foreign ministry also called for calm
• But an Israeli government spokesman said it's "up to Israel to decide how to defend its people" ahead of the country's war cabinet meeting this afternoon
• The UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron told the BBC that Iran suffered a "double defeat" after its attack on Israel failed and it showed its true nature to the world

• The United Nation's general secretary Antonio Guterres said the "Middle East is on the brink" and it was time to "defuse and de-escalate"
• The UN continues to warn that famine is imminent in parts of Gaza, as aid agencies maintain that not enough supplies can reach civilians

Image source, AFP

Tehran has called on Western nations to "appreciate Iran's restraint" towards Israel after it attacked the country on Saturday in retaliation for a deadly strike on its consulate in Damascus, Syria.

Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles towards Israel but some 99% of the barrage was intercepted, Israeli officials have since said.

"Instead of making accusations against Iran, [Western] countries should blame themselves and answer to public opinion for the measures they have taken against the ... war crimes committed by Israel" in its war in Gaza, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said earlier.

Kanani added that Western countries "should appreciate Iran's restraint in recent months".

As well as Israel's allies, countries considered to be more closely aligned with Iran have urged both sides to show restraint.

Russia refrained from publicly criticising Iran over the attack, but shared concern over the risk of escalation.

"Further escalation is in no one's interests," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of the war in the Middle East.

China’s foreign ministry also called for calm and to "exercise restraint and avoid further escalation of tensions".

Image source, Reuters

All eyes are on Israel to see how it responds to Iran's weekend drone and missile attack but its allies have urged it to avoid escalation.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says Israel "has won defensively" in its quarrel with Iran, and there must not be an escalation in the region.

French President Emmanuel Macron joins calls for calm and says his country will do everything possible to avoid an escalation.

And as we reported earlier, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron told the BBC he thought Israel was "perfectly justified" to respond to Iran - but urged the country to be careful and "think with its head, not heart".