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Iran’s ambassador in London has warned that RAF bases used against Iran would become “legitimate targets” and urged the UK to be “careful” about its involvement in the conflict
Iran has issued a stark warning to the UK, calling on officials to exercise caution regarding the nation’s growing involvement in the conflict.
Seyed Ali Mousavi, Iran’s ambassador in London, said his country would have a “right to self-defence” if Britain directly participated in US and Israeli strikes on Iran. He warned that his country expected the British government and others would “need to be very delicate, very careful” in their approach.
The UK has allowed Donald Trump’s forces to use its air bases for what ministers characterised as defensive operations against Iranian facilities, although it has not yet participated in any direct strikes itself.
Mousavi stated it was “good” that the UK was not “involved with this aggression” and suggested the government had absorbed lessons from the 2003 Iraq invasion. However, despite Iran’s president offering apologies to Gulf neighbours following recent missile strikes, Mousavi made it perfectly clear that Iran would continue targeting US bases should strikes on Iran continue, reports the Mirror.
In an interview with the BBC, he proceeded to warn that “if facilities or properties or bases are used against the Iranian nation”, they would become “legitimate targets”. His comments come in the wake of Iranian missiles striking Gulf states including Qatar and the UAE.
However, he insisted that there was a “willingness from the Iranian side not to strike, not to attack our neighbours.”
He did, however, assert that Iran would continue to target any regional military bases used against it, stating: “If the aggression continues there is no doubt we will defend ourselves.
“And if they want to use these military bases, although we don’t want to do that, there is no doubt we will defend ourselves accordingly.”
Over the past week, the US and Israel have launched extensive air strikes on Iran, targeting missile sites, nuclear facilities and even resulting in the death of the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated the UK would not get involved but ultimately allowed the US to use British military bases for “defensive strikes” against Iran.
The US military’s largest bombers landed at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday night as Donald Trump prepared for what he termed as “the big one”, a massive missile bombardment he hoped would force Iran into “unconditional surrender”.
On March 1, the British base RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was hit by a suspected drone. The attack caused minor damage but ignited concerns about British involvement.
As a result, Mousavi was summoned by the Foreign Office on March 4.
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