Iranian missile capabilities in the spotlight after recent attempted Diego Garcia strike
Iran's attempt to hit a joint US-UK base located more than 2,000 miles (3,000km) from its shores has raised questions about Tehran's military reach and missile capabilities.
While neither of the two intermediate-range ballistic missiles hit Diego Garcia, the incident appears to mark the first known effort to target the remote facility – strategically positioned far from most potential adversaries to enhance its security.
Israel's warnings about Iran developing long-range missiles capable of reaching Europe have been dismissed as exaggerated by a senior minister, though, who said the UK is safe.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the British military is "perfectly capable" of protecting the country and that there are systems and defences in place.
He insisted there is "no specific assessment that the Iranians are targeting the UK or even could, if they wanted to", speaking on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.
Why and how Iran could target Europe
Professor Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow at Rusi, said: "I suspect their actual appetite to strike any European targets would be minimal."
He told Times Radio: "The last thing the Iranian government wants at this point is anyone else joining US-Israeli operations," warning that "the Iranians have plenty of ways to potentially cause more covert trouble with operative cells in multiple countries in Europe".
Prof Bronk said these were more likely to be directed towards military installations, for example, adding that they could do something "that is deniable, that the public won't necessarily see, so won't lead to particular pressure from the public to governments in Europe to get involved".
"But [it] will be briefed to European politicians, therefore seen for the warning that it is from the Iranians to not get involved," he added.
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