Iran’s provision of money, military equipment and training to Hizbollah and terror groups, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas, is of “serious concern”, Middle East Minister Alistair Burt has told Parliament.

He said the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ involvement in terror attacks in Thailand, India, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kenya was increasingly worrying.

When a window of opportunity presented itself last weekend to prevent Hizbollah and jihadist fighters in Syria from acquiring strategic and chemical weapons, Israel acted.

The destruction of a missile depot and chemical weapons sites came after intelligence reports indicated that rapid action was imperative.

As the Syrian civil war spirals into mindless violence, the Western powers’ response to the turmoil is increasingly confused and contradictory.

The Israel Air Force shot down an drone near Haifa on Thursday afternoon.

According to sources, the IAF launched fighter jets to bring down the unmanned aircraft believed to have been operated by the Lebanese terrorist organisation Hizbollah.

The Israel Defence Force is investigating exactly where the plane originated from and whether it was holding surveillance equipment or weaponry.

The Irish Defence Minister may have created a potential domestic dispute with government colleagues after suggesting it was “not valid” to differentiate between Hizbollah’s political and military wings.

Alan Shatter appeared to depart from government policy by questioning the separation of the Iranian-backed terror group’s wings by a number of European governments