UK impact: Iran’s launch of 4,000-kilometer-range ballistic missiles marks a dramatic escalation that directly threatens European capitals — including the United Kingdom. As Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir noted, “Their range reaches European capitals — Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range.”
For the UK, this development raises urgent security concerns. British military bases, including Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, were specifically targeted in this attack. The timing is particularly sensitive: a British defence ministry source confirmed the attack occurred before the government had formally authorized the U.S. to use UK bases for strikes on Iran.
Key UK implications:
- National security: London is now within range of Iranian missiles. The UK’s missile defense systems, including the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers and the RAF’s Sky Sabre batteries, would be tested in any direct confrontation.
- Energy prices: European gas prices surged 35% this week following strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure. The UK, while less dependent on Middle Eastern gas than mainland Europe, remains exposed to global price
- shocks that affect household bills and inflation.
- Diplomatic position: The UK faces a difficult balancing act. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has supported the U.S. campaign against Iran but has faced criticism from Labour MPs and human rights organizations over civilian casualties. Over 2,000 people have been killed in Iran since the conflict began.
- Military involvement: The attack on Diego Garcia — a British territory hosting a joint U.S.-UK military facility — raises questions about the UK’s direct role in the conflict. The government has not yet issued a detailed statement on whether British forces were targeted.
A Downing Street spokesperson said Saturday: “We are aware of reports of missile strikes and are in close contact with our allies. The UK remains committed to regional stability and the protection of British interests and personnel.”
Defence analysts suggest the UK may need to reconsider its air defense posture in the coming days, particularly at bases in Cyprus and the Indian Ocean.
By Maayan Lubell, Alexander Cornwell and Idrees Ali
TEL AVIV/JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) – Israeli officials said on Saturday that Iranian forces had for the first time fired long‑range missiles, expanding the risk of attacks beyond the Middle East, even as an Iranian strike injured dozens of people not far from Israel’s nuclear site.
Iran launched two 4,000-kilometer-range ballistic missiles at the U.S.-UK military base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said. The Israeli military said it was the “first time” Iran had used long‑range missiles in the conflict, marking its first expansion beyond the Middle East since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28.
“These missiles are not intended to strike Israel. Their range reaches European capitals — Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range,” Zamir said in a statement.
A source at Britain’s defence ministry said the attack had occurred before the government gave specific authorisation on Friday for the U.S. to use British military bases to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites.
More than 2,000 people have been killed in Iran since the U.S. and Israel began their attacks. In Israel, 15 people have been killed in Iranian strikes since the war started.
Late on Saturday, Iranian missiles struck the southern Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad, injuring dozens of people, including children, in separate strikes. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement early Sunday that they targeted “military installations” and security centers in southern Israel.
Israeli army spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a post on X that the country’s air defenses were functioning but did not intercept the strikes. “We will investigate the incident and learn from it,” he said.
Israel’s secretive nuclear reactor is about 13 kilometers southeast of Dimona. Both cities lie near several military sites, including Nevatim Air Base, one of the country’s largest.
“This has been a very difficult evening in the battle for our future,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office following the strike on Arad.
“We are determined to continue striking our enemies on all fronts,” the statement said.
TRUMP CONSIDERS ‘WINDING DOWN’
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday posted that Washington was considering “winding down” its military operation against Iran.
In a social media post, Trump said the U.S. was close to meeting its goals but insisted that other countries should take the lead in policing the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping lane whose near-closure threatens a global energy shock.
“We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East with respect to the Terrorist Regime of Iran,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump and his administration have sent mixed messages about U.S. goals throughout the war, now entering its fourth week, leaving traditional U.S. allies struggling to respond.
Trump has suggested the war could wind down as the Iranian threat was being eliminated, while at the same time U.S. Marines and heavy landing craft head to the region.
American voters appear increasingly concerned at signs the war could expand. Energy price shocks are fuelling inflation, hitting consumers and businesses hard – a major political liability for Trump as he seeks to justify the war to the U.S. public before November elections in which he could lose control of Congress.
Trump had also accused NATO allies of cowardice over their reluctance to help open the strait. Some allies have said they will consider it, but most say they are reluctant to join a war that Trump started without consulting them.
IRANIAN NUCLEAR SITE HIT
Iranian media said U.S.-Israeli forces had attacked the Shahid Ahmadi-Roshan Natanz enrichment complex on Saturday morning. Technical experts found no radioactive leaks had occurred and nearby residents were not at risk. Israel said it was unaware of such a strike while the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it was investigating.
Iranian media later reported strikes on a passenger terminal in the southern port of Bushehr and an empty passenger ship at nearby Kharg Island. The island, where Iran loads nearly all its oil exports, is seen as a potential target if Washington decides to hit Iranian energy or to use ground troops to seize it.
Iran said it fired drones at U.S. bases in the UAE and Kuwait used to stage attacks on Iranian islands in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia on Saturday ordered Iran’s military attaché and four other Iranian diplomats to leave the country, declaring them persona non grata.
Israel also attacked Beirut, saying it was targeting the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia, part of the deadliest spillover from the war on Iran. Hezbollah fired on Israel in support of Tehran on March 2.
Israel said its aircraft attacked ballistic missile production sites around Tehran. Three members of a family were killed in a strike on a residential building in the city of Ramsar, Iranian media reported.
EUROPEAN GAS PRICES SURGE
Natural gas prices in Europe surged as much as 35% this week after Israel hit Iran’s biggest gas field and Iran responded by attacking neighbours’ energy infrastructure. The European Union urged members to lower gas-storage targets and start refilling reserves gradually to curb demand, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.
The Strait of Hormuz, conduit for around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, has been effectively closed to most shipping.
India, suffering a severe shortage of cooking gas, has been one of the few countries so far to persuade Iran to let any of its ships through the strait, with two tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas leaving last week and two more in position on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Kyodo news agency that Tehran was ready to let Japan-related vessels pass through the strait, which carries around 90% of Japan’s oil imports.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali in Washington, Andrew Mills in Doha, Timour Azhari in Riyadh, Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem and Alexander Cornwell in Tel Aviv; Additional reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Tom Hogue and Matthias Williams; Editing by William Mallard, Sergio Non and Diane Craft)
Reuters wire copy published under license. UK impact analysis by The Credibility News.
