Iran possesses a missile capable of reaching the UK, but experts believe the likelihood of such an attack is currently very low. Amid ongoing military actions in the Middle East led by the US and Israel, military historian Dr. Mark Felton discussed Iran’s missile capabilities.
Following the recent assaults, Iran retaliated against its Gulf neighbors, causing a surge in oil prices and tensions escalating in Lebanon. Additionally, Iran has blocked the vital Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway for global oil transport.
Dr. Felton referenced a previous analysis where he considered the possibility of Russia launching a non-nuclear attack on the UK using cruise missiles from various platforms. In a video on his YouTube channel, he detailed how such an assault could target essential British infrastructure and defense systems.
Highlighting the lack of adequate defense measures in the UK, Dr. Felton raised concerns about potential Iranian missile threats. He suggested that Iran could potentially target Western Europe with ballistic missiles, posing a serious risk if provoked into action.
While Iran has limited the range of most of its ballistic missiles to around 2,000km, it possesses the Khorramshahr-4 missile capable of reaching up to 3,000km, depending on the payload. Dr. Felton pointed out that London is currently beyond the reach of Iranian missiles, although Iran has other rockets with the potential to target the UK.
Despite Iran’s possession of rockets capable of hitting the UK, they are primarily used in Iran’s space program for satellite launches. Concerns have been raised by Western nations regarding Iran’s space launch vehicles potentially leading to intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities if coupled with nuclear warheads.
However, there is no evidence to suggest that Iran has developed such capabilities. Dr. Felton emphasized the challenges Iran would face in accurately targeting the UK and engineering re-entry vehicles strong enough to protect warheads during atmospheric re-entry.
In conclusion, Dr. Felton emphasized that Iran currently lacks the necessary systems to effectively deploy warheads, making it technically improbable for Iran to launch a missile attack on the UK at this time.