Over the past week, governments across the region have reported what they say were Iranian missile and drone attacks, underlining how far the conflict has spread beyond Iran and Israel.

Israel, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE have all said they were targeted during the first week of fighting. Bahrain and Jordan have also reported intercepting missiles since the war began on 28 February.

Cyprus — where the UK maintains two RAF bases — has also experienced hostile activity. British military officials’ current assessment is that the drone which struck RAF Akrotiri last Monday was launched from Lebanon by the Iranian-backed armed group Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan said on Thursday that Iranian drones struck its western exclave of Nakhchivan, injuring two people. Tehran has denied any involvement.