Amid Israeli warnings, UK minister says no proof Iran trying to hit Europe, doubts it can do so
Steve Reed also rejects claims that Britain has no defense against Iranian missiles; Netanyahu urges Europe to join war after Iran fired at remote US-UK Diego Garcia base and targeted Jerusalem holy sites, says Tehran has everyone in its sights
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
British cabinet minister Steve Reed said on Sunday that there was no assessment that backed claims Iran is planning to strike Europe with ballistic missiles, or that it even has the capacity to do so, and rejected claims in UK media that Britain has no defenses against Iranian missiles.
On Saturday, Israel Defense Forces chief Eyal Zamir warned, and the IDF posted on social media, that Iran has missiles “that can reach London, Paris or Berlin” after Tehran unsuccessfully tried to hit the Diego Garcia US-UK military base, 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) from Iranian territory.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also warned on Sunday that Iran was “putting everyone in their sights,” and urged Europe to join the fight against the Islamic Republic.
“There is no assessment to substantiate what’s being said,” Reed, the British housing secretary, told 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.”
“Our assessment is that the Iranians certainly targeted Diego Garcia,” Reed said. “As we understand it, one missile fell short, failed, the other was intercepted and prevented.”
“But I don’t think it’s a surprise this has happened, Iran has been recklessly firing missiles around the region,” he added.
Major British newspapers led their Sunday editions with Israeli warnings that Iran’s missiles can reach the UK.
The Sunday Times headline was “Iran has the firepower to hit London, Israel claims,” while The Telegraph blared: “Iran’s missiles can now reach London, Israel warns Starmer.”
The front page of tomorrow's Sunday Telegraph:
'Iran’s missiles can now reach London, Israel warns Starmer'#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/SzPMqTy432
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) March 21, 2026
The UK’s Daily Mail claimed that the UK has no defenses of its own against Iranian missiles, citing defense experts who said it would be forced to rely on American and German air defenses stationed in Europe. The assertion was also made by broadcaster Piers Morgan.
In a separate interview with Sky News, however, Reed insisted: “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.”
He said the fact that one of the missiles fired at Diego Garcia was intercepted, and the other failed, showed “that our defensive capabilities are correct.”
Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Islands archipelago, is one of two bases that the UK has allowed the United States to use for what the British government insists are “defensive operations” in its war against Iran.
The Wall Street Journal first reported Friday that Iran had aimed two ballistic missiles at the base, which is a key hub for Washington’s Asia operations, including the US bombing campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.
While neither hit their target, the launch indicated that Tehran has missiles with longer ranges than previously thought. Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency confirmed the attempted strike, and boasted that targeting the base was a “significant step… that shows that the range of Iran’s missiles is beyond what the enemy previously imagined.”
American forces have stationed bombers and other equipment at Diego Garcia. The air base is home to about 2,500 mostly American personnel and has supported US military operations from Vietnam to Iraq, Afghanistan and strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
On Friday, the UK government said it would allow Washington to use its bases in Diego Garcia and Fairford in southwest England to target Iranian “missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Reed also told Sky News that US President Donald Trump spoke for himself when he threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if Tehran did not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas normally flows — along with its numerous attacks on energy infrastructure in the Middle East — has sent crude oil prices soaring.
Asked to define Britain’s position on Trump’s deadline, Reed said: “The US president is perfectly capable of speaking for himself and defending what it is that he’s saying.”
Citing Iran’s long-range attack, targeting of holy sites, Netanyahu urges Europe to join war
While the British minister doubted Iran would extend its attacks to Europe, Netanyahu said Iran’s targeting of Diego Garcia showed the Islamic Republic poses a global threat.
“If you want proof that Iran endangers the entire world, the last 48 hours have given it. In the last 48 hours, Iran targeted a civilian area,” Netanyahu noted, pointing to the rubble around him. “They’re doing that as a mass murder weapon. Luckily, no one was killed, but… their intention is to murder civilians.
“Second, they fired on Jerusalem [on Friday], right next to the holy sites of the three monotheistic faiths — the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” he said. “And by dint of a miracle again, none of them were hurt. But they were targeting the holy sites of the three major monotheistic religions.”
"If you want proof that Iran endangers the entire world, the last 48 hours have given it."
PM @netanyahu warns Iran is no longer just a regional threat, citing four escalations in last 48 hours:
– Targeting civilian populations
– Endangering Jerusalem’s holy sites
– Testing… pic.twitter.com/5HQnHyUHp9
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) March 22, 2026
“Third, they fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Diego Garcia. That’s 4,000 kilometers… They have now the capacity to reach deep into Europe,” he said. “They already have fired on European countries — Cyprus. They are putting everyone in their sights.
“And fourth, they’re stopping a maritime international route, energy route, and trying to blackmail the entire world,” he added, referring to Iran’s blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil artery. “What more proof do you need that this regime, that threatens the entire world, has to be stopped?”
“It’s time to see the leaders of the rest of the countries join up,” Netanyahu continued, adding, “I’m happy to say that I can see some of them beginning to move in that direction, but more is needed.”
Israel and the US launched their campaign against Iran on February 28 in a bid to destabilize the regime and destroy its nuclear and ballistic missile capacities. Iran has responded with missile and drone strikes across the region, and its proxies in Iraq and Lebanon have also carried out attacks, with Israel launching massive airstrikes in Lebanon in response to the Hezbollah terror group’s rocket barrages.
The war’s effects have been felt beyond the Middle East, raising food and fuel prices around the world.
The Times of Israel Community.