![\"epa12750833](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SEI_285548069-ead7.jpg\")
\n\t\tIran has been firing missiles from the Strait of Hormuz (Picture: AFP)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tIran has been firing missiles from the Strait of Hormuz (Picture: AFP)<\/p>\n
Experts have said Israel\u2019s warnings about Iranian missiles being able to hit the UK are \u2018exaggerated\u2019 as tensions continue to rise.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, the Israeli Defence Forces said it was the first time Tehran had launched a long-range missile since the start of the war, and warned it is now capable of reaching cities like London<\/a>, Paris<\/a> or Berlin<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018We have been saying it: The\u00a0Iranian terrorist regime poses a global threat,\u2019 the IDF said in a statement.<\/p>\n Diego Garcia is about more than 3,000km away from\u00a0Iran\u00a0and home to a base capable of accommodating long-range US<\/a> bombers and navy ships.<\/p>\n The Israeli military claimed the\u00a0missiles\u00a0could reach a distance of about 4,000km, posing a danger to dozens of countries in Europe, Asia and Africa.<\/p>\n But Dr Bamo Nouri, Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the University of West London, told\u00a0Metro\u00a0that this suggestion from Israel should be treated with \u2018caution\u2019.<\/p>\n \u2018What the Diego Garcia strike demonstrates is not an imminent capability or intent to attack the UK mainland, but a calibrated extension of range tied to a specific military target\u2014a joint US-UK base deeply embedded in ongoing operations against Iran,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018Israeli officials and some Western narratives are already amplifying the strike as evidence of a broader Iranian threat to Europe, which risks being used to justify drawing the UK and NATO more directly into combat roles rather than maintaining logistical or defensive support,\u2019 he added.<\/p>\n Dr Nouri said the strike near Diego Garcia does raise questions about Iran previously saying its missiles can only travel 2,000km, but \u2018capability should not be conflated with intent\u2019.<\/p>\n He said: \u2018The real danger here is not that Iran is about to strike London, but that competing strategic narratives around this event could escalate the conflict far beyond its current scope.\u2019<\/p>\n Dr Katayoun Shahandeh, Lecturer and Senior Teaching Fellow at SOAS, University of London, said the strike near Diego Garcia is significant because it shows Iran\u2019s capabilities and functions of strength. <\/p>\n \u2018It suggests that Tehran is prepared to demonstrate a reach well beyond its immediate region, which is why questions are now being asked about what that might mean for parts of Europe, including London,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tLatest London news\t\t\t<\/p>\n To get the latest news from the capital, visit Metro’s London news hub<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dr Shahandeh pointed out that it is still not the same as proving an imminent or credible direct threat to the British capital<\/p>\n She added: \u2018I do not believe Iran wants to take Europe on directly, because it is well aware that it cannot confront the entire world at once. That is why the position taken by a number of European governments is so important.<\/p>\n \u2018Several have gone out of their way to distance themselves from Trump\u2019s war, stressing that they were not the ones who initiated this conflict and that their priority remains de-escalation, regional stability, and defensive protection rather than offensive participation.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018The more European governments emphasise defence, restraint, and diplomatic distance from the origins of this war, the less likely Iran may be to treat Europe as its next direct theatre. That does not remove the danger, but it does shape the logic of escalation.\u2019<\/p>\n What has the UK said?<\/p>\n \t\t Today, Housing<\/a> Secretary Steve Reed said the British military is \u2018perfectly capable\u2019 of protecting the country, but refused to reveal how close Tehran<\/a>\u2019s\u00a0missiles\u00a0came to reaching the joint US-UK base Diego Garcia.<\/p>\n \u2018We have the finest military in the world. We are perfectly capable of protecting this country,\u2019 he told BBC<\/a>\u2019s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg<\/a> programme.<\/p>\n So far, the Government<\/a> has not said exactly when the two intermediate-range ballistic\u00a0missiles\u00a0were fired at Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands or how close they came to hitting their target.<\/p>\n Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned\u00a0Iran\u2019s missile strikes on the joint US-UK base on Saturday while stressing that the UK will not be drawn into a wider conflict.<\/p>\n She said ministers support defensive action only and want to see a swift resolution to the war.<\/p>\n One of the\u00a0missiles\u00a0was shot down by a US warship while the other failed in flight, the Wall Street Journal reported.<\/p>\n Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch urged the Prime Minister to \u2018come clean\u2019 about the details of the latest attack on British troops and explain why the public was not informed.<\/p>\n \u2018Keir Starmer has dithered and delayed on the\u00a0Iran\u00a0conflict from the outset,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n \u2018Now we find out, from the media and not the Prime Minister, that the British base on Diego Garcia has been the target of\u00a0Iranian missile attacks.\u2019<\/p>\n Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more stories like this, check our news page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Iran](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SEI_290385995-cac4.jpg\")
\n\t\tMost of Iran\u2019s missiles can only travel up to 2,000km (Picture: Metro)<\/p>\n![\"This](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SEI_290443957-a700.jpg\")
\n\t\tIran has continued to fire off barrages of missiles (Picture: AFP)<\/p>\n
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