They say that Iran will target ships and bases belonging to the UK, US and France, if they defend Israel against Iranian drones or missiles.
Downing Street aren’t responding to those comments, but as of this morning it’s understood the UK has not taken part in any military action, including efforts to defend Israel against those strikes.
I was told yesterday that there’d been no request from Israel to the UK for that type of assistance.Government sources haven’t been confirming this morning whether that’s still the case.
When Iran has targeted Israel with drones in the past, the UK has sent RAF Typhoon jets from Cyprus to shoot them down.
Iran has warned the United States, United Kingdom and France not to help Israel stop Tehran's retaliatory strikes, according to Reuters news agency citing Iranian state media.
Reports say that Tehran would target military bases and ships located in the region if the three countries provide support to Israel.
There are barriers at the steps leading down to Damascus Gate - one of the main entrance points to the Old City in Jerusalem. The Israeli soldier at the border guard post tells the few tourists hoping to go into the Old City that everything there is closed.
The IDF have closed the Old City, and the streets are deserted.
This is borne out by the unusual quiet of the labyrinth of ancient alleys.
While the more severe alerts telling people to stay by shelters have lifted, most people and businesses still seem to be following the guidance not to gather or open non-essential businesses and workplaces.
A few fruit stalls, spice shops and butchers' are open, but the usual vibrant bustle is missing.
And the hundreds of Muslim worshippers hurrying to Al Aqsa mosque to pray are also absent, as access has been temporarily closed for security reasons.
"We see it as a war of defence," Ami Ayalon, the former head of Israel's security agency Shin Bet, and commander in chief of the Israeli Navy, told the BBC's Newshour programme this morning."Most Israelis see Iran as major existential threat," he explains.
"They are very, very close to reaching a military nuclear capability - as I understand our intelligence, it was clear from now on we will not have the ability [to strike] if we do not do it now."
Asked by presenter Celia Hatton about the role of US President Donald Trump in the strikes, Ayalon says: "He gave the impression to our prime minister that he will support everything our prime minister will do."
He adds that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will "play the bad guy" and attack, "and America will be the good guy… a day later when Iran understands the consequences of not signing" a nuclear deal with the US, then "it will be easier for [Trump] to achieve this deal."
He says it will take “as many days as it will take” and he’s been clear that his ambition is not just to destroy Iran's ability to make a nuclear weapon; he also wants to bring down the regime.
The Iranian regime is going to see this as a battle for survival - this is something they have also been preparing for.They will throw everything they have at this war.
Their attacks so far have been limited. The Israeli intelligence assessment seems to be that despite the damage to Iran's arsenal after the last 20 months of war in the region, Iran still has about 2,000 ballistic missiles and a capacity to produce more.
They’re now using them to hit strategic targets which are in or near populated centres.
In Tel Aviv, for example, they seem to be aiming at the defence ministry and other military sites but they are landing short and hitting residential areas. Either deliberately or accidentally there is a risk of mass casualties - in both Israel and Iran.
But Iran does not want to draw in America directly - Iran's Supreme Leader knows that militarily and politically Iran cannot win. But as this war escalates, Iranian military officials are now warning of attacks against U.S. bases in the region.
They had always believed their bulwark against the kind of war has been one American president after another saying to Netanyahu: "No, you cannot attack Iran's nuclear facilities, we will try to find a diplomatic way out of it - that is simply too dangerous an option".
President Trump says he did not give a green light - but even if it was just amber, this war has been unleashed, with no clear sign as to how and when it will end.
The announcement, which came from the ministry of public works and transport, emphasises the decision to close the airspace had been made for necessary security reasons.
A little earlier, we reported Jordan had also reopened its airspace.
There has been no update from Israel's Ministry of Transport since yesterday, when it announced Israel's airspace would be closed "until further notice".
Iranian state media outlet IRNA has also said that no flights will operate in the country "until further notice".
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 currently shows no planes in the sky over a significant swathe of the Middle East.
Earlier this morning, we reported on two confirmed deaths in Israel. Israeli media and politicians now say that number is three.
The leader of the opposition party in Israel has expressed condolences for the deaths of the three Israeli citizens.
"It was a difficult night for the State of Israel," Yair Lapid writes, as he calls for people to follow instructions from the Home Front Command."We are a strong people with a strong army."
A little earlier, IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir and Israeli Air Force chief Maj Gen Tomer Bar gave a joint situational assessment. They say "the way to Iran has been paved".
“According to the plans, air force fighter jets will begin to carry out strikes on targets in Tehran,” they add.
An update a little earlier from the Israeli military says that the country's air force hit "dozens" of targets in Tehran overnight, including surface-to-air missile infrastructure.
Maj Gen Tomer Bar says in a statement that the strikes had "operational and national significance".
The UK's Foreign Secretary David Lammy is expected to have calls with further counterparts in the Middle East today, after he held talks with representatives from Iran, Jordan and Saudi Arabia yesterday.
Lammy also had a joint meeting with the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Italy, as well as the EU’s foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas.
He is currently being briefed by Whitehall officials on the overnight developments in the Middle East.No ministerial-level Cobra meeting is expected today, but officials from multiple government departments will be meeting to discuss the latest this morning.
It’s understood that French officials informed the UK government last night that the upcoming UN summit on a two-state solution had been postponed.
For now the fighting between Israel and Iran seems restricted to the two nations. But what if calls to de-escalate fall on deaf ears? What if the fighting escalates and expands?
Here are just a few possible, worst-case scenarios
For all the US denials, Iran clearly believes American forces endorsed and at least tacitly supported Israel's attacks
Iran could strike US targets across the Middle East – such as special forces camps in Iraq, military bases in the Gulf, and diplomatic missions in the region. Iran's proxy forces - Hamas and Hezbollah - may be much diminished but its supportive militias in Iraq remain armed and intact.
If Iran failed to damage Israel's well-protected military and other targets, then it could always aim its missiles at softer targets in the Gulf, especially countries that Iran believes aided and abetted its enemies over the years.
But these countries play host to US airbases. If the Gulf were attacked, then it too might demand American warplanes come to its defence as well as Israel's.
What if Israel succeeded in its long term aim of forcing the collapse of the Islamic revolutionary regime in Iran?
He made clear in his statement yesterday that his broader aim involves regime change. Bringing down Iran's government might appeal to some in the region, especially some Israelis. But what vacuum might it leave?
We are seeing reports now via Iran's state-run Fars news agency that Iran's strikes "will continue" and will not conclude with Friday night's strikes. The agency cites an unnamed official.The official, who was referencing comments made by senior military commanders, says that Iran will also target US bases in the region in the coming days.
Loud explosions were heard here in Jerusalem, as air defence systems were activated as Iran launched another wave of attacks before dawn.
Yesterday, as Israeli officials described the operation against Iran as successful, they also indicated that the strikes were the beginning of what could be a prolonged campaign, warning the public that large Iranian attacks were expected.
Israel says the goal is to damage Iran’s nuclear programme. Officials believe that Iran is in a weak position – its air defences had been degraded in air strikes last year and its proxies in the region, particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon, have been severely damaged – and have said that, in their view, there was a window of opportunity to act.
But the scale of the attacks could suggest another objective: to topple the regime. Last night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a video message, making a direct appeal to the Iranian people and urging them to rise up against their leaders.
"The objective of Israel's military operation is to remove both the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat to Israel,” he said. “And as we achieve our objectives, we are also clearing the path for you to achieve your objective, which is freedom."
This will probably be one of the main concerns of the Iranian leadership, as their main priority has always been to guarantee the regime survival. They are now under a lot of pressure, and it is unclear whether the attacks will lead to domestic instability, or an anti-regime movement.
Iran has launched a wave of retaliatory strikes in response to Israel's attacks on its nuclear facilities and missile sites.Two people have died in the strikes, according to Israeli emergency services. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) says it continues to strike Iran.
Dozens of people are injured, Israel's emergency service Magen David Adom says, after rocket strikes on the central Coastal Plain region
Our correspondents report hearing explosions in central Israel overnight as millions sought shelter while sirens rang out
Israel is continuing air strikes on Iran after an initial wave of strikes killed six nuclear scientists and top Iranian commanders
Iran's representative to the UN says the Iranian death toll from the recent Israeli strikes was 78, with more than 320 injured - he adds the "overwhelming majority" are civilians
Calls for both sides to show restraint have continued - UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says: "Enough escalation. Time to stop"
The IDF says a number of UAVs have been intercepted by the Israeli air force following sirens around the areas of the West Bank and the Dead Sea.
We're continuing to monitor activity from each side and will bring you the updates as we receive them
We've just brought you reports that Jordan has reopened its airspace - yesterday, Israel's Ministry of Transportation said the country's airspace would be "closed until further notice".
That included the Ben Gurion Airport, which has said it is closed for all incoming or outgoing flights until further notice.The airport's website appears to be down this morning.
The Ministry said yesterday that passengers looking to travel would receive information in the media "at least six hours before the airspace reopens".
