The Defence Secretary has declined to give a clean assurance that Iran lacks the firepower to hit the UK, even as he sought to calm fears by stressing that no strike on British soil is believed to be in the planning.
Britain’s Defence Secretary has stopped short of guaranteeing that Iran doesn’t possess the capability to strike the UK, while attempting to ease concerns by emphasising that no attack on British territory is thought to be under consideration.
John Healey faced persistent questioning during a Sky News interview about whether London itself could fall within the range of Iranian missiles – a subject he addressed cautiously without categorically ruling it out.
“We have no assessment of Iranian plans to strike London,” he said.
The discussion followed Iran launching missiles towards Diego Garcia – the distant Indian Ocean atoll that serves as a joint British and American military base. Healey had earlier informed Parliament the incoming projectiles landed considerably short of the island.
With the Government declining to rule out the threat of Iranian missiles striking the UK, questions about which specific areas could be vulnerable have become increasingly urgent, reports the Express.
Defence experts have offered a less comforting assessment than the Defence Secretary. Both the Israeli Defence Forces and the Institute for the Study of War have positioned London within what they characterise as a theoretical 2,500-mile threat zone – the maximum range of Iran’s most sophisticated modified intermediate-range ballistic missiles, which includes the Khorramshahr-4.
UK sites at elevated risk due to the Iran conflict Analysts have highlighted the following locations as facing an increased threat due to ongoing tensions between the West and Iran in 2026:
RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire – This airbase functions as Britain’s main departure point for US Air Force strategic bombers – including B-1B Lancers and B-52 Stratofortresses – presently striking Iranian missile installations, making it a prime target on any Iranian hit list.
Portsmouth and Devonport, Plymouth – These two critical naval hubs house approximately two-thirds of the Royal Navy’s fleet between them, rendering them clear choices for any assault designed to disable British maritime capability.
GCHQ, Cheltenham – Serving as the hub of Britain’s signals intelligence and cyber defence capabilities, the distinctive circular facility would constitute a valuable target for any opponent aiming to disrupt rather than physically obliterate.
RAF Fylingdales, North Yorkshire – This radar installation on the Yorkshire moors carries out a role that renders it indispensable during any missile confrontation: monitoring incoming ballistic threats from launch. The BBC has flagged it as a key counter-force objective for exactly this reason.
Barrow-in-Furness – The Cumbrian shipyard where Britain’s nuclear submarines are built has been identified by analysts as occupying a precarious spot – important enough to draw scrutiny, yet described as ‘woefully exposed’ to the type of long-range assault Iran now has the capability to consider.
Another cluster of sites derives its risk assessment not from the present conflict alone but from the enduring strategic importance it holds – as the location of Britain’s nuclear arsenal, its main naval facility and its defence manufacturing base:
Faslane, HMNB Clyde – Scotland’s deep-water naval facility on the Clyde serves as the permanent berth for Britain’s Trident-equipped submarines – the physical manifestation of the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
Telford, MOD Donnington – Landlocked and unassuming, the Shropshire depot nevertheless anchors the supply network that maintains British armed forces equipped and functioning.
For the time being, Healey’s stance remains firm: no preparations, no immediate danger, no reason for alarm. However, with Iranian missiles already flying over the Indian Ocean and London featured in analyst risk evaluations, the room for comfort is getting tighter.
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