A senior UK cabinet minister has dismissed Israel’s claim that Iran possesses long-range missiles capable of reaching London, saying there is no evidence to support the assertion.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed told the BBC that there is “no assessment to substantiate” the statement made by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which said Tehran had developed weapons with a range of up to 4,000km (2,485 miles).
Reed said British intelligence had not concluded that Iran has the capability to strike the United Kingdom or that it is targeting the country.
“There is no specific assessment that the Iranians are targeting the UK, or even could if they wanted to,” Reed said during an appearance on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
The comments come after reports that Iran targeted the joint US-UK military base at Diego Garcia on the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, located about 3,800km from Iran.
According to officials, Iran fired two ballistic missiles toward the base overnight into Friday. One missile reportedly failed and fell short, while the second was intercepted before it could reach its target.
Following the attempted attack, the IDF reiterated claims that Iran has been working to develop missiles capable of reaching parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. In a social media post on Saturday, the Israeli military warned that Iran’s missile program represents a global threat.
“We have been saying it: The Iranian terrorist regime poses a global threat. Now, with missiles that can reach London, Paris or Berlin,” the IDF statement said.
However, Reed rejected the claim, repeating that there is no intelligence assessment confirming Iran has such capabilities.
Pressed further about the Israeli statement, Reed maintained that the UK government had not seen evidence supporting the claim and emphasized that Britain remains capable of defending itself.
“We are perfectly capable of protecting this country and keeping this country safe, whether it’s here at home, or whether it’s our assets and nationals across the region,” he said.
Military analysts generally believe the longest-range missiles currently in Iran’s arsenal can travel up to about 2,000km, which would place both Diego Garcia and London well beyond their reach.
