‘‘NO ASSESSMENT’ UK IS BEING TARGETED BY IRAN, BRITISH PREMIER SAYS

LONDON, March 23 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday said there is “no assessment” that the UK is being targeted by Iran, following recent military developments in the region, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported, citing local media.

Speaking to broadcasters, Starmer said the government continually reviews potential threats but reassured them that current intelligence does not indicate the UK is at risk.

Starmer's remarks came after the Israeli army claimed on Saturday that Iran now has “missiles that can reach London, Paris, or Berlin.” An Iranian missile would need to travel about 2,700 miles to reach London.

The claim, shared on the United States (US) social media company X, followed reports that Iran had unsuccessfully fired ballistic missiles at the Diego Garcia US-UK military base, located about 2,350 miles (3,782 kilometres) from Iran’s southern coast.

Asked whether the UK was within range of Iranian missiles after the attempted attack, Starmer said the government carries out assessments “all the time in order to keep us safe, and there's no assessment that we're being targeted in that way at all.”

He also emphasised the need to de-escalate West Asia tensions, adding that it is important to defend British interests and lives “without getting dragged into the war.”

The British prime minister confirmed that an emergency Cobra meeting would take place to address the wider impact of the conflict, particularly on household finances.

Cobra meetings bring together senior ministers and officials to coordinate responses to major crises.

Starmer said “most people” are concerned both about the conflict itself and about how it may affect them and their families.

“And so today we're looking at the economic impact, and I am asking for every lever that's available to the government to deal with the cost of living to be discussed at Cobra,” he told reporters.

He added that the Bank of England and other bodies would attend, saying he wants to ensure the government is “doing everything we possibly can” to mitigate cost-of-living pressures.

Regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb 28, killing so far over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU