Home Office breaks silence after Iran threatens UK tourist hotspots | UK | News
The UK Home Office issued a strongly worded statement after the Iranian leader threatened to attack tourist attractions around the world. Iran’s top military spokesman, General Abolfazl Shekarchi, warned that “parks, recreation areas and tourist attractions” around the world would not be safe for the country’s enemies.
The expression of concern sparked renewed concerns that Tehran could use militant attacks in Britain and elsewhere beyond the Middle East as a pressure tactic. The threats came after Iran launched a missile at a joint US-UK base in the Indian Ocean on Friday. The Wall Street Journal and semi-official Iranian news agency Mehr reported that two medium-range ballistic missiles hit Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands, but neither hit. Citing multiple officials, the newspaper stated that one of the missiles was shot down by a US warship and the other failed in flight.
Iranians have warned that British lives are “in danger” after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer backed the US for further attacks in the war that has been raging since February 28. But in a defiant statement to the Daily Express, a Home Office spokesman said the UK had “robust safeguards” against “malicious activities” by Iranians.
They said: “Ensuring the safety of the people and defending national security is the Government’s first duty.
“We take the threat posed by the Iranian regime and those doing its bidding extremely seriously and have robust measures in place to counter any malicious activity and protect the public.”
Since the beginning of 2022, the UK has responded to more than 20 Iran-backed plots that pose potentially lethal threats to British citizens and residents of the UK. A government source said they had long said that Iran’s threat to the UK was “persistent and unacceptable”.
On Thursday, an Iranian man and a Romanian woman were charged after the two tried to enter the naval base that is the center of Britain’s nuclear deterrent. The 34-year-old man and the 31-year-old woman were charged following the incident at HM Naval Base Clyde, known as Faslane.
A statement from Police Scotland said: “At around 5pm on Thursday 19 March 2026, we were informed that two men were attempting to enter HM Clyde Naval Base.
“A 34-year-old Iranian man and a 31-year-old Romanian woman were arrested and charged in connection with the incident.
“They will appear at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Monday, March 23. Inquiries continue.”
Faslane is the headquarters of the UK’s submarine fleet and Trident nuclear deterrent. The Royal Navy had previously announced that two people tried to enter the base but were unsuccessful.
Despite threats from the Islamic Republic, the domestic terrorism threat level remains significant, meaning an attack is likely, but it is two notches below the highest “critical” level, meaning an attack is likely in the near future.
The level is determined by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Center and Security Service (MI5).
