The United States and the United Kingdom have downed more than 100 Iranian drones, intercepting them before they reached Israeli air space, according to an Israeli defense official.
The official told Army Radio in Israel that the drones that were intercepted were among hundreds that had been fired toward targets in Israel in what the Iranians have called a retaliatory strike following a bombing attack in Damascus, Syria, that killed several top Iranian military officials, reports The Times of Israel.
The Wall Street Journal, quoting a U.S. official, also reported that the United States military shot down an undisclosed number of Iranian drones.
President Joe Biden, who had been in Delaware earlier Saturday, returned to the White House to meet with national security advisers.
The United States in recent days has also been repositioning resources in anticipation of an attack in the region, the publication reports.
The Telegraph in London further reported that the British Royal Air Force jets took off from Cyprus to intercept drones and missiles launched from Iran.
The newspaper, quoting Israel's Channel 12, said the U.S. and U.K. fighter jets shot the drones down near the Syria-Iraq border.
The U.K. Ministry of Defense declined to comment on the operation, said to mark a significant increase in the country's involvement in supporting Israel.
The U.K. and the United States have also joined in recent months on airstrikes against Houthi militants in Yemen to "disrupt and degrade" the group, backed by Iran.
The Houthis, who control much of northwestern Yemen, have been attacking ships in the region since last fall.
Warships from the United States and the United Kingdom are also participating in an international task force to protect the region's shipping.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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