Britain’s armed forces are ready to protect the country from any attack from Iranian missiles, the government said on Thursday.
It follows a warning from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards over the UK allowing US bombers to fly from its bases.
“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. The UK stands ready 24/7 to defend itself,” a government spokesperson said.
“This includes through operating a layered approach to air and missile defence, provided by Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force assets equipped with a range of advanced capabilities, working closely with our NATO allies,” they added.
Tehran warned on Thursday that RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire is a “legitimate target” for strikes after the US Air Force used it to launch a bombing raid.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) singled out the “British monarchy” as “the main cause of the misfortunes of the people of our region”.
In response to Iran’s warning, the spokesperson said Britain’s approach remained unchanged and that it was committed to defending its people, interests and allies in accordance with international law while avoiding being drawn into a wider conflict.
In March, Iran launched two ballistic missiles towards the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, with one missile failing and the other intercepted by a US warship.
An Iranian Shahed one-way attack drone hit also RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus in March, with two other missiles intercepted.
The Ministry of Defence claims it has made “air and missile defence a priority” in the new defence investment plan and has dedicated £790m towards this goal.
Iran’s warning came after new prime minister Andy Burnham was notified last week of Britain re-committing to an existing agreement allowing the US to use British bases in what it described as the collective self-defence of the region.
The UK government said on Wednesday that the arrangement covered US defensive operations to degrade missile sites and capabilities used in attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
It signalled a fresh start in the transatlantic partnership after relations with Sir Keir Starmer grew increasingly fractious over the Iran war.
The UK withdrew remaining diplomatic staff from Iran as the conflict with the US continued to escalate with a 12th night of airstrikes.
A statement on the Foreign Office (FCDO) website said: “Due to the security situation, UK staff have been temporarily withdrawn from Iran.
“Our embassy continues to operate remotely.”
The FCDO advises against all travel to Iran, saying British and dual British-Iranian residents face “significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention”.
A similar move was made in February ahead of the start of US and Israeli combat operations.
US Central Command said late on Wednesday that the 12th night of attacks was designed to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters”.
Announcing the end of the latest wave of strikes on Thursday morning, they said US forces struck military targets including maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites and air defence assets.
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