UK troops and civilians being put at risk by Iran strikes, Healey says
#Iran strikes#UK troops Bahrain#John Healey#Ayatollah Khamenei#Middle East conflict#US-Israeli strikes#UK terror threat#Cyprus missiles
📌 Key Takeaways
UK troops in Bahrain came within 'several hundred yards' of Iran's retaliatory strike
UK did not participate in initial US-Israeli strikes on Iran
Iran has launched attacks against multiple countries in the Middle East
UK government is reviewing terror threat level after Iranian attacks
Shadow foreign secretary criticized PM Starmer's response to Iranian threats
📖 Full Retelling
UK Defence Secretary John Healy revealed on Sunday that British military personnel and civilians in the Middle East are being put at risk by Iran's indiscriminate missile and drone attacks, which followed the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in recent US and Israeli strikes, noting that 300 UK troops stationed at a Bahrain base came within 'several hundred yards' of a retaliatory strike while two missiles were also fired toward Cyprus. Healy emphasized that protecting UK military and civilians from these attacks is his top priority, stating that while 'no-one will mourn' Khamenei's death, the UK government is working to prevent further regional escalation with British planes remaining in the air throughout Saturday and overnight. The defence secretary clarified that the UK did not participate in the initial US-Israeli strikes against Iran, but is now assessing the consequences as Iran has launched waves of attacks against targets across Israel, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait and Iraq since Saturday morning. Meanwhile, Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel expressed support for the US-Israeli attacks while criticizing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for not being more 'proactive' in addressing threats from the Iranian regime to UK interests, as the government reviews the terror threat level in the UK following these unprecedented regional tensions.
🏷️ Themes
Middle East Security, UK Foreign Policy, Iran-Israel Conflict, Military Risk Assessment
Ali Hosseini Khamenei (born 19 April 1939) is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989. He previously served as the third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. His tenure as supreme leader, spanning 36 years, makes him the longest-serving head of...
John Healey (born 13 February 1960) is a British politician who has served as Secretary of State for Defence since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough, formerly Wentworth and Wentworth and Dearne, since 1997. He previously h...
This is a list of modern conflicts ensuing in the geographic and political region known as the Middle East. The "Middle East" is traditionally defined as the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia), Levant, and Egypt and neighboring areas of Arabia, Anatolia and Iran. It currently encompasses the area from E...
UK troops and civilians being put at risk by Iran strikes, Healey says 13 minutes ago Share Save Richard Wheeler Political reporter Share Save The defence secretary has said protecting UK military and civilians in the Middle East from "indiscriminate attacks" by Iran was his priority. John Healey told the BBC that "no-one will mourn" the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of US and Israeli air strikes on Iran. Healey said some British military personnel at a base in Bahrain had been "within several hundred yards" of a retaliatory missile and drone strike on Saturday, while two missiles had been fired in the direction of Cyprus. The UK did not participate in the US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The defence secretary said the government was reviewing the terror threat level in the UK. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel told the programme she welcomed the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, adding it was "absolutely astonishing" Sir Keir Starmer had not been more "proactive" given the threats posed by the Iranian regime to UK interests. Since Saturday morning, Iran has launched waves of missile and drone attacks against targets across Israel, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait and Iraq. Healey told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: "In that Bahrain military base that was hit by missiles and drones yesterday, we had 300 British personnel, some within several hundred yards of the strike." He said two ballistic missiles were also "fired in the direction of Cyprus", adding: "Now, we're pretty sure they weren't targeted at Cyprus." He said these attacks demonstrated how British military personnel and civilians were "at risk with a regime that is increasingly indiscriminate, widespread and uncontrolled in the attacks it is mounting". Healey said the UK was attempting to do "all we can" to prevent further regional escalation, with British planes in the air throughout Saturday and overnight. John Healey Iran
