LONDON – British Cabinet minister Steve Reed on March 22 dismissed assertions that Iran possesses ballistic missiles capable of striking Europe or intends to target cities like London, Paris, or Berlin, calling such claims unsubstantiated.
Reed’s remarks followed an Israeli Defence Forces social media post on March 21 claiming Iran has missiles able to reach those capitals. “There is no assessment to substantiate what’s being said,” the Housing Secretary told BBC. “I’m not aware of any assessment at all that they are even trying to target Europe, let alone that they could if they tried.”
In a Sky News interview, Reed distanced Britain from US President Donald Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum threatening to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants unless Tehran fully reopens the Strait of Hormuz. “The US President is perfectly capable of speaking for himself and defending what it is that he’s saying,” Reed stated.
He outlined the UK’s stance: “We’re not going to be dragged into the war, but we will protect our own interests in the region. We will work with our allies to de-escalate the situation.”