UK Housing Secretary Steve Reed stated that there is no assessment to substantiate Israel's claim that Iran has long-range missiles capable of reaching London.
Reed told the BBC that the UK has no specific assessment that Iran is targeting the UK or has the capability to do so, after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed Tehran had weapons with a range of up to 4,000km (2,485 miles).
The IDF made this claim after Iran fired two ballistic missiles at the joint US-UK military base on the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, approximately 3,800km from Iran.
Missile Incident Details
According to Reed, one of the missiles failed and fell short, while the other was intercepted. The intercepted missile disappeared after a US destroyer fired missiles at it, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing US officials.
Reed refused to disclose how close the missiles came to the British overseas territory, citing operational details.
UK Defense Capabilities
Reed emphasized that the UK is capable of protecting itself and its assets, whether at home or abroad. He stated that even if Iran were able to launch strikes at such a range, the British armed forces would be able to defend the UK.
The longest-range weapon in Iran's arsenal is thought to have a maximum range of 2,000km, which is far short of both Diego Garcia and London, even if fired from just inside the nearest Iranian border.
International Reactions
US President Donald Trump previously claimed that Iran had developed missiles that could threaten Europe and was working towards building missiles capable of striking the US.
Iran's foreign minister said earlier this month that the country had deliberately capped its missiles' range at 2,000km to avoid being seen as a threat.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that Iran has the capacity to reach deep into Europe.
Expert Analysis
Dr. Sidharth Kaushal, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, stated that while it is probably accurate that Iran has missiles capable of reaching the UK, it is not the most pressing threat due to their inaccuracy at long distances and the need to travel through well-defended airspace.
