UK Unable to Defend Against Iranian Missiles, Ex-Defense Chief Warns

(MENAFN) Former British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace issued a stark warning Monday that the United Kingdom currently lacks the capability to intercept long-range Iranian missiles, while accusing sitting government ministers of deliberately minimizing the threat as the Iran-US-Israel conflict continues to escalate.

Speaking on a radio station, Wallace took direct aim at officials who he said had moved to downplay the risk of Iranian missiles reaching British soil.

"A minister appeared on your show trying to play down that any ranges within the United Kingdom were unrealistic. That's not correct," he said.

Wallace pointed specifically to advances in Iranian missile technology — most notably the Salman rocket motor, developed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for satellite launch vehicles but now being repurposed to dramatically extend the range of conventional missiles.

"The Iranians took two boosters, Salman boosters, from the space program, added them to their existing missiles, and have now been able to produce missiles with ranges that could hit Britain in the future," he said.

When pressed directly on whether Britain could intercept such an attack, Wallace replied bluntly: "No, we wouldn't, not at the moment."

The former defense chief also leveled sharp criticism at budgetary decisions that have severely curtailed the operational availability of Type 45 destroyers — the Royal Navy's primary anti-air and ballistic missile defense vessels.

"The Type 45s that could potentially shoot down ballistic missiles were not available… because the government has had to find extra money from the availability and operating budget of the armed forces. That's all their decision," Wallace said.

Despite their considerable defensive capabilities, Type 45 destroyers have been hamstrung by a shrinking fleet, persistent maintenance backlogs, and sustained budgetary pressure — collectively eroding Britain's ability to counter next-generation missile threats.

Wallace called for a fundamental shift in public awareness and national preparedness, invoking the spirit of Cold War-era contingency planning.

"It's the bigger point. It's the point about this readiness … leveling with the public that we're going to have to think differently. Ex-soldiers like me, who would have been a reservist, would have been called up. All of that discussion needs to happen with the public," he said.

Driving home his central argument, Wallace delivered a pointed rebuke to complacency within government circles.

"The point is that technology is moving, ranges are growing, and the UK has to be honest with itself and with the public about what we can and cannot defend against. We cannot simply assume allies will always be able to cover gaps that exist because of shortfalls in our own capabilities," Wallace said.

His warnings come as Iran continues to retaliate against joint US-Israeli strikes that began February 28, killing more than 1,400 people — including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Tehran has since struck Israel and US military installations across Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states, while causing widespread casualties, infrastructure damage, and disruptions to global markets and aviation. Wallace served as Defense Secretary from July 2019 to September 2022 under Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

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