British minister pushes back on Israeli warning that Iran’s missiles can reach Europe

A British minister on Sunday downplayed Israeli warnings about Iran’s missile reach into Europe, citing a lack of supporting intelligence.

“There is no assessment to substantiate what’s being said,” British Member of Parliament Steve Reed said in an interview with the BBC. “I’m not aware of any assessment at all that they are even trying to target Europe, let alone that they could if they tried.”

Reed acknowledged that Iran attempted to strike the British-controlled island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, where the U.S. Air Force keeps strategic air assets.

“Our assessment is that the Iranians certainly targeted Diego Garcia,” Reed continued. “As we understand it, one missile fell short, failed; the other was intercepted and prevented.”

He said it was no surprise, as “Iran has been recklessly firing missiles around the region.”

The distance to the targeted Diego Garcia base – approximately 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) from Iranian territory – highlights the range of Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities. At such distances, parts of Europe would fall within potential reach, including countries such as Greece, Italy, Austria, Germany and Finland.

In early March, the Tehran regime targeted a British military base in the EU member state Cyprus. This was the first time that a missile attack has been launched against a European country, to date.

Following the Iranian failed attempt to target Diego Garcia, IDF chief Eyal Zamir warned that Tehran “can reach London, Paris or Berlin.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also warned that the ayatollah regime’s ballistic missile arsenal is “putting everyone in their sights.”

Last weekend, Netanyahu visited an Iranian missile impact in a civilian area in the southern Israeli city of Arad, condemned the ayatollah regime as an “enemy of civilization,” and urged the international community to unite against the Islamic Republic in Tehran.

The British media has responded to the Israeli warnings.

The Sunday Times ran the headline “Iran has the firepower to hit London, Israel claims,” while The Telegraph wrote: “Iran’s missiles can now reach London, Israel warns Starmer.”

The news outlet Daily Mail cited defense experts who argued that the United Kingdom currently lacks aerial defenses against Iranian missiles.

However, MP Reed denies it.

“We have systems and defenses in place that keep the United Kingdom safe, and that will continue to happen, but the PM has been crystal clear about this war. We didn’t join the war, we’re not going to be dragged into this war, but we will take necessary defensive action to protect British interests, British people, or our allies across the region,” Reed told Sky News.

Reed argued that the intercepted Iranian missile fired at the Diego Garcia base suggests “that our defensive capabilities are correct.”

The Iranian news agency Mehr confirmed that Tehran had attempted to strike Diego Garcia, calling it a “significant step… that shows that the range of Iran’s missiles is beyond what the enemy previously imagined.”