Iran sends retaliation warning after launching missile attack on Israel

Iran launched drones and fired missiles at Israel in its first ever direct attack on Israeli territory, a retaliatory strike that raised the threat of a wider regional conflict.

Sirens were heard across southern cities in Israel overnight, as Israeli military attempted to intercept missiles. Authorities said a 7-year-old girl was critically injured.

Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel overnight, 99 percent of which were shot down, the Israeli military said on Sunday, adding that the armed forces remained fully functional and were discussing follow-up options.

In a televised briefing, chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari deemed Iran's actions "very grave" and said they "push the region toward escalation."

Iran's mission to the United Nations said the attack had been aimed at punishing "Israeli crimes," but that it now "deemed the matter concluded." However, Iranian army chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri warned on television that "our response will be much larger than tonight's military action if Israel retaliates against Iran" and told the U.S. its bases could also be attacked if it helped Israel retaliate.

Israel's war cabinet is due to meet at 3:30 p.m. local time (1230 GMT) on Sunday to discuss a response to the drone and missile attack launched by Iran overnight, an Israeli official said.

China calls on parties to remain 'calm and exercise restraint' 

China has said it is "deeply concerned" about escalating tensions in the Middle East, calling on "on relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalation of tensions."

"China calls on the international community, especially influential countries, to play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability," a foreign ministry spokesperson added in the statement.

A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said that this round of tensions was a "spillover from the Gaza conflict," adding that quelling it as soon as possible was "a top priority."

Several world leaders have condemned the attack on Israel, including U.S. president Joe Biden, UK's Rishi Sunak and the European Commission's Ursula von der Leyen.

Biden said in a statement: "Earlier today, Iran—and its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraq—launched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms.

"At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week."

UN and G7 set to meet over attack

The UN Security Council and G7 leaders are due to meet on Sunday to discuss Iran's attack on Israel overnight.

Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the G7, has called a video meeting of G7 leaders, while the UNSC is set to meet after Israel requested the council condemn Iran's attack on Israel and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization.

"We express our deep concern about a further destablisation of the situation in the region and continue to work to avoid that," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on social media platform X.

The G7 call will be held in the early afternoon European time, an Italian government statement said.

The UNSC meeting will take place at 4 p.m. ET (2000 GMT), according to a schedule.

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Iranian airports remain closed

Several Iranian airports including Tehran's Imam Khomeini International have cancelled flights until Monday, Iranian state media have reported.

"All flights from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport have been cancelled until 6 a.m. (0230 GMT) following an announcement by Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation," the airport's executive told the Iranian Student News Agency.

Domestic flights from Tehran's Mehrabad Airport and airports in Shiraz, Isfahan, Bushehr, Kerman, Ilam, and Sanandaj have also been cancelled until Monday morning, according to Iran's Airports and Air Navigation Company, as the country's western airspace remains off limits to flights.

Major airlines across the Middle East have announced the cancellation of some of their flights, while having to reroute others.

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