ByREUTERS

British cabinet minister Steve Reed said on Sunday that no assessment backed claims Iran is planning to strike Europe with ballistic missiles, or that it even has the capacity to do so.

On Saturday, the IDF posted on social media that Iran has missiles "that can reach London, Paris or Berlin".

"There is no assessment to substantiate what's being said," British Housing Secretary Reed told the BBC.

"I'm not aware of any assessment at all that they are even trying to target Europe, let alone that they could if they tried."

Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026.
Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)

No evidence Iran can strike Europe, UK says

In a separate interview with Sky News, Reed said that US President Trump spoke for himself when he threatened to "obliterate" Iran's power plants if Tehran did not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

Asked to define Britain's position on Trump's deadline, Reed said: "The US president is perfectly capable of speaking for himself and defending what it is that he's saying."

"We're not going to be dragged into the war, but we will protect our own interests in the region. We will work with our allies to de-escalate the situation."