‘No evidence Iran can hit UK’: Minister pushes back on Israel warning

Iran is not thought to have either the ability or the intention to strike the UK with its missiles, a senior cabinet minister has said, after Tehran’s launch of two missiles toward the UK-US base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. According to reports, one missile failed to reach its target while the other was intercepted by a US naval vessel. The strike marked Iran’s longest-range attack since it came under assault from the US and Israel.

Addressing Israeli warnings that Iran could potentially target the UK and parts of Europe, Communities Secretary Steve Reed said there is no current intelligence suggesting Iran is aiming at Britain, or even possesses the capability to do so.

Responding to why Israel issued such warnings, he remarked that those concerns should be directed to Israeli authorities. He emphasised that the UK would not be drawn into the conflict, while maintaining readiness to act in coordination with allies to safeguard British citizens and interests.

Reed further stated that he had seen no evidence indicating Iran is attempting to strike Europe. He added that even in such a scenario, the UK has sufficient defensive strength to protect itself.

Speaking about the Diego Garcia incident, Reed confirmed that one missile was intercepted while the other did not reach its destination, though he declined to provide details on how close it came to the base.

The government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer had earlier declined a US request to use British bases for initial strikes on Iran in February, partly due to concerns over potential violations of international law.

However, the UK has since permitted the use of its bases for operations aimed at Iranian targets that threaten British allies and regional interests. This was expanded on Saturday to include strikes on missile launch sites targeting commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Reed reiterated that the UK’s priority remains reducing tensions and avoiding deeper involvement in the conflict. “If you take the decision, as any British government should, that we will defend British people and British assets across the region, and the Iranians start targeting different assets, then of course, we have to respond to that and defend them as well. That doesn’t take away one iota from our interest and focus on de-escalation,” he told Sky News.

He also declined to comment on Donald Trump’s warning, giving Tehran 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face severe consequences for its energy infrastructure, stating that the US president can speak for his own position.

When pressed further, Reed reiterated that questions regarding such statements should be directed to Trump himself, while underlining that the UK’s stance remains unchanged: it does not intend to be drawn into the war.