Iran missiles fired towards UK bases in Cyprus
Two Iranian missiles were fired in the direction of Cyprus, British Defence Secretary John Healey said on Sunday but were intercepted.
The island is home to two British military bases.
Healey said it was not yet clear if the missiles were deliberately targeting UK facilities on the island.
“We are not sure if they were intentionally aimed at our bases,” he said.
However, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said that Healey had merely said the missiles were headed towards Cyprus but had not targeted it.
Healey said the 300 British personnel were near targets in Bahrain and warned of wider regional fallout after US-Israel strikes
Speaking to Sky News, Healey added: “Few people will mourn the Ayatollah’s death.”
However, he stressed his greater concern was the potential fallout from the strikes on Iran and the risk of wider regional escalation.
The British government has confirmed Britain was not involved in the US-Israeli operation.
On Saturday Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired meetings of the Cobra emergency committee and urged British nationals in affected areas to follow official travel advice.
UK forces in Cyprus remain on heightened alert.
The Ministry of Defence has said it is monitoring the situation closely and will take “all necessary measures” to protect British personnel and assets in the region.
The Cyprus government has already spoken to that of the UK and a statement is forthcoming.
In June Iran warned the United Kingdom, the United States and France that their bases and ships in the region will be targeted if they help to stop its missile strikes on Israel, according to reports.
On Saturday UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom “played no role” in attacks carried out by the United States and Israel on Iran, though the country’s presence at its Akrotiri air force base in Cyprus is being bolstered.
It had been reported earlier this month that the UK had deployed a total of six F-35B fighter jets which departed from the RAF’s base in Marham, Norfolk, to Cyprus, “to defend the base and sovereign base territories should the situation in the region become ‘hot’”.