British Cabinet Minister Steve Reed said on Sunday (March 22, 2026) 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.
On Saturday (March 21, 2026), the Israel Defence Forces posted on social media that Iran has missiles “that can reach London, Paris or Berlin”.
“There is no assessment to substantiate what’s being said,” British Housing Secretary Reed told the BBC.
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“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.”
In a separate interview with Sky News, Mr. Reed said that U.S. President 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.
Asked to define Britain’s position on Mr. Trump’s deadline, Mr. Reed said: “The U.S. president is perfectly capable of speaking for himself and defending what it is that he’s saying.”
“We’re not going to be dragged into the war, but we will protect our own interests in the region. We will work with our allies to de-escalate the situation.”
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Iran missiles targeting Diego Garcia base fell short, intercepted: Reed
Mr. Reed on Sunday (March 22, 2026) said one missile launched by Iran targeting a joint U.K.-U.S. military base in the Indian Ocean “fell short” while another missile was “intercepted”.
“Our assessment is that the Iranians certainly targeted Diego Garcia,” a military base some 4,000 km (2,500 miles) away from Iran, Mr. Reed told the BBC.
“As we understand it, one missile fell short, failed, the other was intercepted and prevented,” said the housing minister, who was representing the government on the Sunday morning shows.
“But I don’t think it’s a surprise this has happened, Iran has been recklessly firing missiles around the region,” he added.
Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Islands archipelago, is one of two bases which the U.K. has allowed the United States to use for what the British government insists are “defencive operations” in its war against Iran.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on Friday (March 20, 2026) that Iran had aimed two ballistic missiles at the base, which is a key hub for Washington’s Asia operations, including the U.S. bombing campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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While neither hit their target, the launch suggests that Tehran has missiles with longer ranges than previously thought.
American forces have stationed bombers and other equipment at Diego Garcia.
On Friday (March 20, 2026), the U.K. 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”.
A U.K. official source confirmed that Iran’s “unsuccessful targeting of Diego Garcia” took place before Friday’s (March 20, 2026) announcement.
Mr. Reed insisted that the “U.K. will not be dragged into this conflict”, adding that there was “no specific assessment that the Iranians are targeting the U.K. or even could, if they wanted to”.
He also highlighted the contrasting positions taken by the U.K. and the United States on the war, with British leader Keir Starmer attracting Mr. Trump’s ire in recent weeks.
“It is not the first time in history that the United Kingdom and a British prime minister has taken a different view from the U.S. President. It happened in Vietnam,” said Mr. Reed.
Published – March 22, 2026 04:10 pm IST
