US troops under drone attack in Iraq and Syria

US troops in the Middle East came under attack from suspected Iran-backed militias on Thursday night in an escalation that threatened to pull global powers into the Gaza conflict.

The US Navy also said it intercepted missiles and drones fired from Yemen and headed “potentially towards targets in Israel”.

Bases housing US soldiers came under attack in Iraq and Syria, raising fears Iran was mobilising proxy forces against the West, which backs Israel in its war with Hamas.

It came as Israel told its troops they will soon see Gaza “from inside” as forces amassed on the border ahead of an expected ground invasion.

Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, travelled to the front line to place soldiers on high alert with a fiery speech.

He urged personnel to “get organised, be ready” for an order to move into the Hamas-controlled territory.

“You see Gaza now from a distance, you will soon see it from inside,” he said. “The command will come … I promise you.”

Shortly after Mr Gallant’s statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a video of himself with troops near the border promising victory.

The United States issued a rare worldwide terror alert on Thursday urging citizens to “exercise increased caution” as tensions mounted and anti-Israel and anti-Western protests spread across the Arab world.

Joe Biden, the US president, urged Americans to back Israel and Ukraine at what he says is a perilous moment for democracy around the globe.

He said: “Hamas and Putin represent different threats. But they share this in common. They both want to completely annihilate a neighbouring democracy.”

On Thursday evening the Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts US and other international forces in western Iraq, was hit by multiple blasts from suspected militants aligned with Iran.

A US Navy warship patrolling the Red Sea near Yemen also intercepted three land-attack cruise missiles and several drones.

The Pentagon said they were fired by Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen and may have been targeting Israel. Houthi forces have expressed support for the Palestinians and threatened Israel.

Two drones also attacked US personnel at the al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria, according to officials. One drone was shot down, but another caused minor injuries.

The garrison is located at a sensitive juncture often used by Iranian-backed militants to ferry weapons to Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanon-based ally of Hamas.

Syrian opposition activists also said on Thursday that a drone attack was conducted on an oil facility in eastern Syria that houses American troops.

As Western leaders tried to stop the conflict escalating, the Prime Minister on Thursday night arrived in Saudi Arabia for crisis talks with the country’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

The closely-guarded summit ended with an agreement to “ensure regional stability and prevent a dangerous escalation”, No 10 said.

In a whirlwind day of last-minute diplomacy, Rishi Sunak had on Thursday first visited Israel to say Britain wanted the Jewish state to win and would stand by the country in its “darkest hour”.

Israel had “not just a right” but a “duty” to restore its security after the Oct 7 attacks that killed 1,400 Israelis, he said in Tel Aviv.

But he also added that the conflict must not “escalate regionally”, fearing Iran-backed militias from across the region being drawn in to attack Israel.

“That is why I’m talking to as many people as I can across the region,” he said.

The Prime Minister’s diplomatic efforts were echoed by the Foreign Secretary, who is due to deliver the same message in Egypt, Turkey and Qatar.

James Cleverly said: “It is in no one’s interests - neither Israeli, Palestinian nor the wider Middle East - for others to be drawn into this conflict.”

Mr Sunak’s visit to Israel had followed directly after a similar visit by Mr Biden on Wednesday.

Mr Biden had offered strong backing for Israel, but also warned the country not to be “consumed by” rage in the wake of Hamas’ attacks, and to avoid making the same “mistakes” that the US did after the 9/11 attacks.

Diplomats believe that now the high-profile delegations have left, Israel may now feel it is free to act.

Washington is reported to want a delay in any ground operation against Gaza so that more can be done to secure American hostages seized by Hamas.

Hamas took around 200 captives during the Oct 7 attacks and there are fears they will be used as human shields against any ground operation.

More than a dozen US nationals are thought to be among the hostages, along with about 10 Britons among the 30 different nationalities taken in the attack. Around 30 minors and young children and 20 people over the age of 60, are being held, Israel’s public broadcaster said, citing military sources.

Washington has turned to Qatar to mediate between Hamas and Jerusalem.

However a member of Israel’s security cabinet on Thursday night said its military has a “green light” to move into Gaza whenever it’s ready.

Economy Minister Nir Barakat told ABC News that hostages and civilian casualties will be secondary to destroying Hamas “even if it takes a year.”

Mr Gallant also said the battle will be “long and hard”.

Israel meanwhile continued its bombardment of targets in Gaza where the United Nations says more than two million people are trapped in dire humanitarian conditions.

Up to 20 aid lorries are poised to enter the territory as soon as Friday, after Mr Biden struck a deal with Egypt and Israel to let aid in over the Rafah border crossing.

The strip has been under total Israeli blockade since the Oct 7 attacks and aid agencies say residents need 100-lorry-loads of supplies each day.

The UK, America and Germany have all advised their citizens to leave Lebanon as border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah intensified.

Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions have been trading daily cross-border fire with Israel since the Oct 7 attacks.

Mr Sunak’s meeting with bin Salman in Saudi Arabia on Thursday night aimed at cooling tensions in the region, amid fears of spillover.

Arriving for the meeting, he said: “As an international community, we must not let Hamas’ terror attack become a catalyst for a terrible humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

“We will work together to ensure regional stability and prevent a dangerous escalation.”

Downing Street said in a statement afterwards that the pair had discussed the need for humanitarian corridors to be opened up into Gaza.

A No 10 spokesman said: “The leaders agreed that the loss of innocent lives in Israel and Gaza over the last two weeks has been horrific.

“They underscored the need to avoid any further escalation in the region and agreed to coordinate action on this front.”