The United Kingdom on Sunday strongly criticised Iran for what it described as ‘increasingly indiscriminate’ attacks across West Asia, announcing that British defensive capabilities in the region have been reinforced amid rising tensions.
After confirmation that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said ‘few people will mourn his death’, characterising the regime he led as a long-standing ‘source of evil’.
Healey said his immediate focus remains on the growing risks faced by British military personnel, civilians and assets stationed across the region.
“Make no mistake, this is a regime that he (Khamenei) has run for decades as a source of evil. It has murdered its own citizens and exported terror, including to Britain,” Healey said.
He accused Iran of retaliating in a manner that is ‘increasingly indiscriminate and widespread’, raising concerns that not only military installations but also civilian infrastructure is being targeted. “People will be deeply concerned that it’s not just military targets, but civilian airports like Kuwait…and hotels in Dubai and Bahrain that are being hit,” he noted.
The defence secretary confirmed that UK defences in the region have been strengthened and that Britain remains actively engaged in coordinated defensive operations aimed at maintaining stability. He stressed that the UK’s airborne missions are designed to reinforce ‘regional stability’ and reduce the risk of further escalation.
Healey revealed that Royal Air Force (RAF) jets are currently operating out of bases in Qatar and Cyprus, where they are tasked with intercepting Iranian missiles or drones directed towards those countries.
Also read: Violation of human morality: Putin on Khamenei killing
“Of course, when our planes are in the air and they see things–missiles or drones – directed towards other countries, they’ll take them down,” he said. “So, when I talk about Britain playing a role in reinforcing regional stability and being part of coordinated regional defensive operations, that’s what I mean.”
On Saturday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer clarified that while the UK played ‘no role’ in the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, RAF aircraft are active in West Asia as part of ongoing defensive missions.
Healey said Starmer had urged Iran to halt its actions and return to diplomacy. “That’s why Keir Starmer yesterday called for Iran to end this now, to give up its weapons programmes and to return to the root of diplomacy, which is, in the end, how we secure long-term stability and peace in this region,” he said.
The defence secretary also disclosed that approximately 300 British personnel were stationed near a military base in Bahrain that was struck by Iran on Saturday, with some located ‘within several hundred yards of the strike’.
“It demonstrates how our bases, our personnel—military and civilian—are at risk at the moment from a regime that is increasingly indiscriminate, widespread and uncontrolled in the attacks it’s mounting,” Healey said.
British nationals across the region have been advised to closely follow travel guidance and ‘shelter in place’ instructions issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Following the developments, Starmer held discussions with US President Donald Trump, United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Qatar’s Amir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
According to Downing Street, the leaders emphasised the urgent need to prevent further escalation and reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring regional security.
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