The Telegraph: UK lacks defences against long-range Iranian missiles

Britain could be vulnerable to a potential Iranian ballistic missile attack, said former military chiefs and defence sources, following reports that Tehran has developed long-range capabilities capable of reaching Europe, The Telegraph reports.

The concerns come after an attempted strike on the joint UK-US military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, approximately 2,400 miles from Iran. One missile was intercepted by a US warship, while a second failed in flight. The incident is believed to mark the first confirmed use of such long-range ballistic missiles by Iran.

A senior defence source warned that the UK’s ability to counter such threats is limited. “It’s woeful… combating ballistic missiles are long-learned skill sets – and the UK’s set of those skills is, sadly, very, very low,” they told The Telegraph.

Former air vice-marshal Sean Bell echoed these concerns, noting that Britain’s Cold War-era missile defences had significantly diminished. “The worry here is that if Iran was to launch a ballistic missile that was heading our way… we have no defences against that in this country,” he said. “Whilst we could track it, it would be able to strike us. Now, I think the chances of that happening are fairly slim.”

Currently, the UK’s primary defence lies with its fleet of Type 45 destroyers equipped with Sea Viper missiles. However, many of these warships are not operationally deployed. “Unless a Type 45 happened to be sailing by… the fact remains we have no missile defence against ballistic missiles in this country,” Bell added.

The UK lacks ground-based systems capable of intercepting ballistic or hypersonic missiles, relying instead on early warning systems such as RAF Fylingdales and support from NATO allies.

Israeli officials claimed the Diego Garcia strike demonstrated Iran’s ability to hit targets up to 4,000km away. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran could reach “deep into Europe,” adding: “They already have fired on a European country, Cyprus. They are putting everyone in their sights.”

However, the UK government downplayed the threat. Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: “There is no specific assessment that the Iranians are targeting the UK or even could, if they wanted to,” adding that Britain remains “perfectly capable of protecting this country.”

By Vafa Guliyeva