UK has no defences to stop Iranian missiles and would be forced to rely on US and Europe to stop them as it’s revealed they can now hit London

If Iran launches a rocket attack on Britain similar to the attack on Diego Garcia this weekend, Britain will have to rely on American missile defense systems based in Europe.

The warning came after Tehran launched two ballistic missiles at an Indian Ocean base jointly operated by the US and Britain on Friday night.

The island lies 2,360 miles from Iran, well beyond the 1,240 miles thought to be the outer limit of the regime’s reach.

If Iran uses Simorgh space launch technology to expand its missile range, as some strategists fear, this could potentially bring Paris, 2,609 miles away, or even London, 2,750 miles away, within Iran’s range. RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus is just 1,600 miles from Tehran.

Retired Royal Navy commodore Steve Prest said: ‘Ballistic missiles are space rockets. They launch, they go very high and they come down very quickly. ‘If you have a space program, you have a ballistic missile program.’

Defense experts say that in a ballistic attack, Britain would have to rely on American SM-3 defense systems based in Eastern Europe or Patriot missiles used by the Germans to intercept the rockets.

The attempted attack on Diego Garcia came as Sir Keir Starmer extended US permission to use British bases to launch attacks in the Strait of Hormuz to protect ships from Iranian attacks.

None of the missiles fired at Diego Garcia hit the target; One is believed to have been shot down by the US warship’s SM-3 interceptor, while the other reportedly failed in flight.

Khorramshahr-4 missile was launched at an undisclosed location in Iran

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir of covering up the attempted attack on Diego Garcia and said the Prime Minister should ‘clarify’ the details of the attack.

Government sources confirmed that the attack took place before an official statement later said the US military had authorized the attack on Iran from its island base to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. It came like this:

• The USA used ‘bunker busting’ bombs in the attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. The munition was designed to be dropped from B-2 stealth bombers to destroy targets up to 200 ft underground;
• The American military claimed Tehran’s ability to threaten ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz had been ‘weakened’;
• The UAE issued a joint statement from 22 countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Bahrain and Australia, demanding that Tehran reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ships;
• Vegetable prices in supermarkets may rise within weeks as the war in Iran increases fertilizer and energy costs;
• Holidaymakers were scrambling to book flights and change destinations to avoid the disruptions caused by war and the threat of spiraling wages;
• Drivers may face a 50 mph speed limit like the 1970s to save fuel under emergency plans;
• Sir Keir promised Cyprus that the British air base on the island would not be used by the Americans to attack Iran.

The Prime Minister met with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and pledged that RAF Akrotiri would not be involved in his agreement with Mr Trump over the use of British bases in the war.

This follows Mr Christodoulides’ warning last week that once the war is over, Britain will seek talks on the future of ‘colonial’ military bases on the island.

Former British Commander-in-Chief General Sir Richard Barrons said on Saturday that Iran’s strength may have been ‘seriously underestimated’.

General Sir Richard, who headed the UK Joint Forces Command between 2013 and 2016, said Iran’s missiles were previously thought to have a range of only 2,000 kilometres. [1,240 miles] and Diego Garcia 3,800 kilometers [2,360 miles] Far from Iran.”

He was responding to questions about whether Mr Trump was right to say Britain had done ‘too little, too late’, or whether war opponents were right that Britain was being drawn into an American war.

Meanwhile, Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers Union, said vegetable prices could rise within weeks due to increases in fertilizer and energy costs.

He said Britain no longer had the ability to produce fertilizer domestically and was ‘absolutely at the mercy of world markets’.

The Middle East is a major supplier of materials used to make fertilizer. Most of them pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which is blocked by Iran, causing prices to soar as farmers scramble to buy limited supplies as the spring planting season approaches.

Mr Bradshaw said prices of imported goods would rise immediately due to high transport costs, adding that increases for other foods would also begin to emerge in the coming weeks.

He added: ‘For vegetables grown in heated greenhouses, such as cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes, we will see these cost increases passed through to the retailer over the next month to six weeks.’

Stampede on flights before prices increase

By Calum Mairhead

Holidaymakers are scrambling to book flights and change destinations to avoid increased fares and disruption due to war.

Travel agents are reporting ‘strong interest’ in European and Caribbean destinations after Dubai and other Gulf cities’ reputation as safe, sun-drenched getaways was shattered by Iran’s missiles and drones.

Industry experts say the ‘huge surge in demand’ is being fueled by people who normally wait for last-minute deals but are now rushing to lock in bookings ahead of further price rises.

Graeme Buck, of travel industry body ABTA, said: ‘The Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to many countries in the region due to conflict.

‘So in the short term people need to consider what this means for their holiday plans.’

Consumer travel expert Martyn James added: ‘These trips to Malaga will be much busier than usual.

‘As the situation in the Middle East drags on and the likelihood of prices rising increases, fewer people will want to take the risk of booking last minute travel, so will consider booking now to avoid a nasty shock later.’

Signs of a booking rush emerged last week when some of the largest US carriers, such as Delta and American Airlines, raised their March sales forecasts.

Easyjet boss Kenton Jarvis has advised passengers to book their flights now to avoid higher fares, saying the airline is currently protected from higher fuel costs but this will not last until after the summer so price rises are more likely.

Drivers face speed limits to save fuel

By Calum Mairhead

With contingency plans in place as war causes shortages in global oil supplies, drivers could face a 50 mph speed limit like the 1970s to save fuel.

It is stated that speed limits are among the options reportedly taken into consideration.

Others are thought to include:

• A cap on how much fuel drivers are allowed to purchase at pumps;
• Allocating gas stations to the use of emergency services only;
• Limiting working hours and closing overnight;
• Restricting the sale of diesel to commercial vehicles operating in key areas such as food production and medical supply chains.

While fuel stocks are not yet low enough to take serious action, the Government may be forced to use emergency powers under the Energy Act, which allow authorities to control fuel supplies if there is a risk of shortage.

Emergency measures were last used in 2000, when a blockade of fuel depots by shippers led to a nationwide oil shortage.

Fuel-saving speed limits have not been enforced since 1973, when traffic on all roads was limited to 50 miles per hour after the UK and other countries cut off Middle East oil exports during the Yom Kippur war between Israel and a coalition of Arab states.

The UK currently has less than 900,000 tonnes of oil in storage; This amount is enough to meet 26 days of normal demand.

The crisis has put pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to provide support for motorists, including canceling a planned 5p increase in fuel duty in September.