Steve Reed, a British cabinet minister, said on Sunday (local time) that there was no assessment to support the claim that Iran was planning to hit Europe with ballistic missiles, or that it could currently do so, the BBC reported.
His comments came a day after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a post on X that the Iranian regime was a global threat and now possessed missiles capable of hitting cities like London, Paris and Berlin.
Speaking to the BBC, Britain’s housing secretary said there was no evidence to support such claims, noting that he was not aware of any assessment that suggested Iran was even trying to target Europe, let alone capable of doing so.
The remarks follow an incident almost two days earlier in which Iran fired ballistic missiles at a joint US-British base in Diego Garcia, a remote island in the Indian Ocean. Although no damage was reported, the attack underscored Tehran’s missile range capabilities, previously understood to be limited to about 2,000 kilometers. Diego Garcia lies roughly 4,000 kilometers from Iran.
Read also | Iran target Diego Garcia; strike reveals Tehran’s reach
The IDF says the target could be Europe
In its social media post, issued a day after the missile launch, the IDF said it had uncovered Iran’s intention to develop missiles with a range of up to 4,000 km during Operation Rising Lion in June 2025, posing a threat to many countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. She added that Iran rejected the claims.
Iran’s attack on Diego Garcia came hours after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized the US to use British bases to attack Iran, a decision criticized by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Writing on X, Araghchi accused Starmer of threatening British lives and said Tehran would exercise its right to self-defence.
Trump threatens to destroy Iran
Earlier on Saturday night, US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could target Tehran’s energy infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened within 48 hours. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) closed the strait days after US and Israeli attacks on Iran, cutting off oil supplies through one of the world’s most important waterways.
Trump said in his message that if Iran fails to fully and without threat reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, the United States will attack and destroy its power plants, starting with the largest facility.
We will not be dragged into war: Reed
In an interview with Sky News, Reed responded to Trump’s warning by saying the US president was speaking for himself and stressed that Britain would not be drawn into the conflict, instead continuing to protect its own interests in the region.
Read also | The Iran war has hit Europe with an energy shock it cannot afford to absorb
Britain has no defense against Iranian missiles?
According to a Daily Mail report, Britain would be forced to rely on US missile defense systems based in Europe if Tehran launched a missile attack on the UK similar to the one attempted by Diego Garcia.
Citing strategists, the report added that this puts cities like Paris, which is 2,609 miles away, and even London, which is 2,750 miles away, within range of Tehran if the country uses its Simorgh technology to extend its missile range. In the event of a ballistic missile attack, defense experts believe Britain would be forced to rely on the US’s SM-3 defense systems, which are deployed across eastern Europe, or the Patriot missiles used by Germany to intercept the missiles.
