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Britain said Thursday that its armed forces were prepared to defend the country from any attack after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that British bases used by U.S. bombers against Iran would be considered legitimate targets.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the U.S. had flown bombing missions against Iran from RAF Fairford in southwest England.
New British Prime Minister Andy Burnham was informed last week that London had renewed its commitment to an existing agreement allowing the United States to use British bases for what the government described as the collective self-defense of the region.
“Our armed forces are ready to keep the United Kingdom safe from any kind of attacks, whether it’s on our soil or from abroad,” a government spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said Britain operated a layered air and missile defense system involving Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force assets equipped with advanced capabilities and working closely with NATO allies.
The British government said Wednesday that the existing agreement covered U.S. defensive operations intended to weaken missile sites and capabilities used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Responding to Iran’s warning, the government spokesperson said Britain’s position had not changed.
The spokesperson said the country remained committed to defending its population, interests and allies under international law while seeking to avoid being drawn into a broader conflict.
The United States carried out a 13th consecutive night of strikes against Iran after the effective collapse of an interim truce, while Tehran launched attacks against U.S. bases in neighboring Arab countries.
Iran was reported to have fired two ballistic missiles at the U.S.-UK military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean in March, although neither missile hit the target.
An Iranian-type Shahed drone caused minor damage when it struck facilities at Britain’s Akrotiri air base in southern Cyprus on March 2.
Britain later said Akrotiri would not be included in the defensive agreement with the United States.
Experts said Iran might possess a missile capable of reaching London, but added that it would likely be inaccurate and that the risk remained low.
Britain has long accused Iran of conducting cyberattacks and using criminal groups and proxies to target opponents and dissidents in the country.
British security services said there had been 20 potentially lethal Iranian-backed plots over the past year.
Britain this month banned support for the IRGC under new powers introduced to address what the government described as the growing use of state-sponsored proxies.
The decision followed a series of attacks on Jewish sites in London. The government said the IRGC had “almost certainly” directed a group believed to be responsible for several of the incidents.
Two Romanian nationals were jailed this month for stabbing a journalist employed by a Farsi-language media organization in London. Prosecutors said the pair had acted on behalf of Iran.
Tehran has consistently denied involvement in such attacks, describing the allegations as unfounded and politically motivated.
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