UK insists Britain is safe from Iranian missiles as Israel accused of exaggerating threat

Britain is safe from Iranian missiles, a cabinet minister has insisted, as the government downplays shocking claims that Tehran is developing long-range firepower that could reach Britain.

Israel has issued a stern warning that Iranian missiles are a threat to European cities including London, Paris and Berlin, following the unsuccessful firing of two ballistic missiles at the UK-US Diego Garcia military base in the Chagos Islands.

However, experts have suggested that Britain would be left defenseless if Iran had the capacity to strike the UK, while Israel was accused of exaggerating the threat to build support for the war.

Insisting that the UK is safe from Iranian threats, housing secretary Steve Reed told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “We have systems and defenses in place to keep the UK safe and that will continue to happen.”

He repeatedly refused to say how close the missiles came to Diego Garcia, thousands of miles from Iran, but insisted that the fact that one was intercepted and the other failed showed that “our defensive capabilities were correct.”

Asked later if he accepted reports that Britain could be hit by Iranian missiles, he told Times Radio: “No. There is no assessment, as far as I know, that the Iranians would target Europe or that they could do so if they wanted to.”

This comes as tensions in the region escalate again, with Donald Trump issuing an ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or the US will “destroy” Iran’s power plants, threatening to destroy Iran’s energy ambitions in the Middle East.

Iran responded by saying the key waterway was open to all but “Iran’s enemies” and said it would target energy and oil infrastructures in the Middle East and completely close off the strait if the US President followed through on his threats.

Meanwhile, two Iranian missiles hit the southern Israeli towns of Arad and Dimona on Saturday night, injuring scores of civilians in one of the worst combat attacks ever on Israeli soil. Hours later, the Israeli army said it would strike Tehran in response.

Hours after Mr. Reed’s comments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on his country’s warning, saying Iran had the capacity to reach “deep into Europe.”

Speaking to journalists, Netanyahu said: “They fired an intercontinental ballistic missile at Diego Garcia; this means 4,000 kilometers. I always warned. They now have the capacity to reach the depths of Europe. They have already fired at a European country, Cyprus. They are taking everyone in their sights.”

But Israel is accused of exaggerating the risk of Britain building support for the war against Iran, which began last month when it launched surprise attacks to topple the Iranian regime.

Lord McDonald, former senior civil servant at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, said: “Frankly, there is no evidence that they have missiles of this capability other than from an Israeli source. And Israel’s agenda is to get Europe more interested, more interested and more supported by what they are doing.”

He added that even if Iran targeted Diego Garcia, “they did not achieve the target, and I think that is an important fact.”

But he acknowledged it was “true” that the UK could be vulnerable to such an attack because we do not have a comprehensive missile defence.

Former secretary of state James Cleverly also said it wasn’t helpful to “start running wild” about Iran’s missile strike capabilities, adding: “The Iranian regime is very, very good at disinformation and very good at distorting anything that might get on the air.”

On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Tehran had launched a long-range missile for the first time since the start of the war, showing it could now reach cities previously thought to be difficult to reach.

It was claimed that the missiles could travel a distance of approximately 4,000 km, meaning they posed a danger to dozens of countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. A post about X said: “We say this: The Iranian terrorist regime poses a global threat. Now its missiles can reach London, Paris or Berlin.”

Diego Garcia is approximately 3,800 km (2,360 mi) from Iran. The distance between Iran and England is approximately 4,435 km (2,750 mi).

Mr. Reed, who declined to say how close Iran’s long-range missiles came to reaching Diego Garcia, insisted it would only benefit Iran.

He also did not address whether the government supported Mr. Trump’s 48-hour deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, saying that was a matter for the US President.

Mr. Trump’s threat came a day after he spoke of “ending” the war and as U.S. Marines and heavy landing craft advanced toward the region.

Responding to his ultimatum, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqir Qalibaf wrote to X that if Iranian power plants were attacked, critical infrastructure and energy facilities in the Middle East could be “irreversibly destroyed.”

Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard said it also meant the shipping route through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through Iran’s southern coast would remain closed.

“The Strait of Hormuz will be completely closed and will not be opened until our destroyed power plants are rebuilt,” the IRG said.