Steve Reed, a British cabinet minister, said on Sunday (local time) that there is no assessment backing claims that Iran is planning to target Europe with ballistic missiles, or that it currently can do so, according to the BBC.
His comments came a day after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in a post on X, claimed that the Iranian regime represents a global threat and now possesses missiles capable of reaching cities like London, Paris, and Berlin.
Speaking to the BBC, the British Housing Secretary said there is no evidence to support such assertions and noted that he is not aware of any assessment suggesting Iran is even attempting to target Europe, let alone having the ability to do so.
The remarks follow an incident nearly two days earlier when Iran launched ballistic missiles at a joint US-UK base in Diego Garcia, a remote island in the Indian Ocean. Although no damage was reported, the strike underscored Tehran’s missile range capabilities, which had previously been understood to be limited to about 2,000 kilometres. Diego Garcia lies roughly 4,000 kilometres from Iran.
IDF says Europe could be targeted
In its social media post, issued a day after the missile launch, the IDF said that during Operation Rising Lion in June 2025, it had revealed Iran’s intention to develop missiles with a range of up to 4,000 km, posing a threat to multiple countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. It added that Iran had rejected these claims.
Iran’s strike on Diego Garcia came hours after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer permitted the US to use British bases to carry out strikes on Iran, a decision criticised by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Writing on X, Araghchi accused Starmer of endangering British lives and said Tehran would exercise its right to self-defence.
Trump threatens to obliterate Iran
Earlier on Saturday night, US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could target Tehran’s power infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened within 48 hours. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had shut the strait days after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, disrupting oil shipments through one of the world’s most vital waterways.
In his message, Trump said that if Iran fails to reopen the Strait of Hormuz completely and without threats within 48 hours, the United States would strike and destroy its power plants, beginning with the largest facility.
We’re not going to be dragged into the 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 safeguard its own interests in the region.
UK have no defence against Iranian missiles?
According to a Daily Mail report, Britain would be compelled to rely on US missile defence systems stationed in Europe if Tehran launched a rocket attack on the UK, similar to the one it attempted on 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 Tehran’s range, if the country uses its Simorgh space launch technology to extend its missile range. In case of a ballistic missile attack, defence experts believe that Britain would be pressured to rely on the US’s SM-3 defence systems, which are positioned across Eastern Europe, or the Patriot missiles used by Germany, to intercept rockets.
