siavash ardalan, thank you very much - change in the middle east. siavash . for israeli studies and former chief of mission at the embassy of israel in washington, dc. —— dan arbell. president biden is now at the white house. he is convening, we understand, some of the meetings taking place in israel. diplomatically, what happens next? i think there are very close consultations, phone conversations taking place right now between senior american officials and senior israeli officials, just like there are with senior british officials and senior french officials. i think there is a discussion right now taking place in tel aviv of the israeli cabinet, security cabinet, and they are looking at different ways to assess this and respond effectively. but they are doing so in coordination with the united states. israel can protect its borders and its civilians. yet as you have mentioned in the last hour, these missiles, these cruise missiles and these drones are going over middle east airspace over different countries, whether it is syria, jordan, iraq where us force

with me is siavash ardalan from bbc persian.s the case? the only confirmation _ iran saying was the case? the only confirmation we _ iran saying was the case? the only confirmation we had _ iran saying was the case? the only confirmation we had from - iran saying was the case? the only confirmation we had from iranian l confirmation we had from iranian officials including one from a top army commander was that iran fired at an unidentified objects in the hour, meaning drones. they confirmed that three drones had been shot down and that is all we are hearing from iranian officials, the rest is just messaging about, it is business as usual, everything is calm. bind messaging about, it is business as usual, everything is calm. and what do ou usual, everything is calm. and what do you interpret _ usual, everything is calm. and what do you interpret that _ usual, everything is calm. and what do you interpret that messaging - usual, everything is calm. and what do you interpret that messaging to l do you interpret that messaging to me

absolutely, siavash ardalan, — expect. absolutely, siavash ardalan, our— expect.ghts. we want to bring in retired but in a general mark schwarzer who served as us security co—ordinator of the israeli and palestinian authority. thank you for being with us to help understand what�*s going on. i want to ask about the attack and whether you are surprised that this came from within izzy wright itself, from iranian territory, rather than one of its many outposts or proxies in the region? outposts or proxies in the re . ion? �* , outposts or proxies in the reuion? v outposts or proxies in the reuion? �*, .,, region? it's good to be with ou. i region? it's good to be with you- i don't _ region? it's good to be with you. i don't think— region? it's good to be with you. i don't think it - region? it's good to be with you. i don't think it was - region? it's good to be with you. i don't think it was a l you. i don�*t think it was a surprise that iran decided to launch capabilities from its own sovereign territory. if you look back to qasem soleimani and his death in a raack

with me is siavash ardalan from bbc persian. of this, the reaction so far that we have had has been described as quite muted from iran, tell us what that says at this stage now that these reported is attacks have happened. given the fact that the iranian authorities said if it should be on authorities said if it should be on a severe scale they would immediately respond, the head of iran's irgc said they had their fingers on the triggers, so to speak. on a reigning commander said that if israel attacks iran's nuclear sites, that iran may review its policy, which means this policy of not going for a nuclear weapons or not trying to build nuclear weapons, as opposed to now where it is a threshold nuclear state. those are ominous threats designed to deter israel. what happened in terms of the iranian attack to israel as a show of deterrence is something curiously that iranians have not been, other than in broad terms, been, other than in broad terms, been bombastic about, neither rejecting nor confirming those reports from us offic

siavash ardalan from bbc persian coming to us live from the newsroom in london, monitoring the very latestth regards to this developing situation. thank you so much. we can bring you the latest that we know at this hour on the breaking news which we continue to monitor and develop, that iran has launched an attack against israel, iran's revolution have confirmed that the attack was in part a response to the air strike that destroyed only running a diplomatic compound in syria earlier this month allegedly the us and uk have reported that its air force jets have been active in the region and the us has reported shooting down a number of drones in southern syria near thejordanian border, the uk is that the british royal air force will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions as required. here is what we know about the situation in israel at the moment. air sirens have been found in multiple locations in israel and that's confirmed to us by our correspondence on the ground. therapeutic explosions over jerusalem according to witnesses on the ground and is really medi

in the meantime, we can go nowjoined bbc persian reporter siavash ardalan from london. here is a tweets against... matter can be deemed concluded but should the israeli regime and make another mistake iran�*s response will be considerably be more severe. basically it means iran is saying this operation because concluded, that it�*s no longer firing any drones or missiles towards israel even though we still don�*t have any indication that those cruise missiles have been fired towards israel. what we have confirmation of is the shooting of several, or dozens, of drones towards israel. what the irani permanent mission to the un said is really a reflection of what�*s going on on the ground, because it�*s contradictory to media reports that we are getting inside iran from the revolutionary guard affiliated news websites thatjust iran from the revolutionary guard affiliated news websites that just a few moments ago have said that once the drones approach israel, the first phase of iran�*s complicated operation will begin. now when you were saying that around 2am local time is when the drones

with me is siavash ardalan from bbc persian.n and what that tells us. iran is bracin: iran and what that tells us. iran is bracing for _ iran and what that tells us. iran is bracing for this _ iran and what that tells us. iran is bracing for this attack. _ iran and what that tells us. iran is bracing for this attack. they - iran and what that tells us. iran is bracing for this attack. they woke j bracing for this attack. they woke up bracing for this attack. they woke up early in the morning to sounds of explosions and then they all rush to see what domestic news outlets are saying. it turned out to be sounds from iran's defence aerial defence systems. not a particular explosion. everybody was calling each other on social media, contacting to see who heard what, who observed what, other than the sounds of explosion, if anyone saw anything, any signs of devastation or not. i guess it is just now really a sigh of relief, given the fact that iranians state media is really pressing on with this messaging, that it is business as usua

let's talk to bbc persian correspondent siavash ardalan. little more detail of what was targeted and what the regime is actually saying. we don't exactly know _ regime is actually saying. we don't exactly know. the _ regime is actually saying. we don't exactly know. the iranians - regime is actually saying. we don't exactly know. the iranians this - exactly know. the iranians this morning woke up to the sound of explosions what were the activation of their air defence system. what we haveis of their air defence system. what we have is a set of unconfirmed reports. iranians are reading news agencies, it websites, social media, contacting each other to see if there were any targeted, if they heard anything. all they heard were the sounds of the explosion. what we do have is a fog of unconfirmed reports. some by us official, different media outlets saying there was a missile involved for the in israel's attack on iran, they hit in iranian military base. there is no solid proof of that. we haven't seen anything. if the iranian authorities have

siavash ardalan, tell me first of all more about what was actually targeted here and want the iranianen saying. weill. targeted here and want the iranian regime has been saying.— regime has been saying. well, we have no solid _ regime has been saying. well, we have no solid proof— regime has been saying. well, we have no solid proof or _ regime has been saying. well, we have no solid proof or evidence i regime has been saying. well, we have no solid proof or evidence of| have no solid proof or evidence of exactly what this attack consisted of. we had an unnamed us officials telling us they and the us media that israel has launched a missile and hit iran's military bases in the city of isfahan which is home to a fleet of iran's fighterjets. no images on social media, no news confirms that as yet. so if that happened, we have no solid proof for it. what the iranians have confirmed is the shooting down of three israeli drones which they say originated from inside iranians soil. so they described these drones as quadro copters which have only four blades, very small drones with a short ra