The Royal Marines are set to lead a “Dunkirk-style” evacuation of thousands of British citizens from the Middle East after Iran launched a massive drone and missile attack on Israel last night.
The commandos have already carried out reconnaissance along the Lebanese coast ahead of a possible maritime rescue mission.
The daring mission, reminiscent of the huge effort to evacuate 338,000 British soldiers stranded in France by the Germans during the opening salvo of the Second World War in 1940, was revealed exclusively by the Mail on Friday.
It came a day before Tehran launched a massive aerial bombardment on Saturday night, in retaliation for a deadly explosion at a consul at the Iranian embassy in Syria that killed 13 people.
Speaking exclusively to the Mail earlier this week, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed he “stands ready” to help any Britons trapped in the region.
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps on a visit to Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, to tour the base and meet troops.
A video shared with MailOnline showed Iron Dome intercepting a missile.
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 against the involvement of US troops in the region.
The evacuation plans, codenamed Operation Meteoric, will be led by the UK’s ‘Green Berets’ and supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
The Mail was told that a group of marines from 30 Commando arrived in the region in recent days.
Operation Meteor has been compared 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 prepared for a huge Iranian response to the attack on its Syrian consulate earlier this month, which left 13 dead, including a top Iranian commander.
While Israel has not claimed responsibility for the explosion, it is widely considered to have been behind it.
Iran’s response may also involve the heavily armed military group Hezbollah, 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 the closure of civilian “air bridges,” hence the need for a maritime solution.
Defense Minister Grant Shapps confirmed he is “ready” to help Britons trapped in the region.
The commandos have already carried out reconnaissance along the Lebanese coast ahead of a possible maritime rescue mission.
The Royal Navy’s new minesweeper ‘mothership’, RFA Stirling Castle, which has recently arrived at its new home on Clyde.
The Mail has been told how the Royal Marines’ Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS) carried out the preparatory work behind Operation Meteor.
They studied stretches of the Lebanese coast and selected potential locations for such a rescue mission.
Stranded civilians would be transported from the beaches by assault craft to Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ships in the eastern Mediterranean.
While Iran is understood to be keen to avoid a direct confrontation with UK forces, RAF Typhoon jets based in Cyprus could provide “superior cover”.
Earlier this week, Shapps told the Mail: ‘UK citizens in the region will be worried about what Iran is threatening to do. That’s why we are willing to help them.
“There are plans, but they cannot be discussed for security reasons.”
Around 100 drones were reported to have been launched from Iran last night, with dramatic footage revealing the moment some were shot down over the city of Jerusalem.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said via state media: ‘The Revolutionary Guard’s aerospace unit has attacked targets in Israel with dozens of drones and missiles in reaction to the crimes of the Zionist regime, including the attack on the consulate section of the Iranian embassy. in Damascus and martyring our commanders and military advisors in Syria.’
The missiles entered Israeli airspace shortly before midnight local time, and international media footage revealed that the missiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome system over Jerusalem in eastern Israel.
Explosions were also heard in Jericho in the occupied West Bank, while the Israeli military said it had sounded sirens in the southern Negev region.
Iranian media reported that Tehran also launched its first round of ballistic missiles toward Israel, which have an even shorter flight time than cruise missiles. Now a third wave of drones has been launched against Israel.
The Yemen-based Houthis have also claimed to have fired “dozens” of rockets towards an IDF base in northeastern Israel. It is currently unknown whether the Houthi attacks are related to the Iran salvo.
The United Kingdom, one of Israel’s closest allies, and other nations have reportedly begun supporting Israel by sending fighter jets to shoot down the drones and missiles. US officials added that their military also intercepted drones and missiles heading towards Israel.