BRITAIN could face a terrifying 20 minutes if the Iranian regime ever manages to launch a missile targeting the UK.
Israel has warned London could be within strike range of the mullahs – with fears mounting there is nothing in our arsenal to stop a potentially devastating blitz.
The twisted republic unleashed two ballistic missiles – reportedly the deadly Khorramshahr weapons – towards UK-US base Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands on Friday.
The terrifying attack proved that the rogue state is capable of reaching targets 4,000km away – quashing previous beliefs that they could only hit targets of up to 2,000km.
The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) confirmed the strike was the first time that Iran has launched a long-range missile since the start of the war.
The IDF said: “The Iranian terrorist regime poses a global threat. Now, with missiles that can reach London, Paris or Berlin.”
These near-miss attacks have now sparked concerns Iran could deploy nuclear warheads capable of reaching the same distance – if not further.
London sits over 5,000km away from Tehran but strategists fear the regime could get its hands on Simorgh space technology to extend its missile range.
Iran is already said to be hastily creating a makeshift missile capable of hitting the West after the botched attempt at striking Diego Garcia, insiders warn.
International security expert Will Geddes told The Sun that the strikes on Diego Garcia meant we could not rule out Iran striking the UK.
He said following the foiled attack: “We cannot discount that they may have within their arsenal the capability to potentially strike at the heart of the UK.”
If an Iranian missile was feared to be heading towards to the UK then it would first be called in by intelligence satellites – triggering instant alerts among world leaders and military chiefs.
Within minutes, the UK’s top security officials would scramble to Pindar – a bunker five floors under the Ministry of Defence.
There would then be an estimated 20-minute frantic wait as the missile flies over the Middle East and enters European airspace.
Britain would be left defenceless if attacked by Iranian intercontinental ballistic missiles, analysts have warned.
Intelligence sources warned the two missiles launched at Diego Garcia must be a wake-up call.
In any ballistic missile attack, vulnerable Britain would be forced to rely on American or European air defences to intercept the weapon.
US SM-3 defence systems across Eastern Europe, or Patriot missiles used by the Germans would be called into action to defend Britain.
Ministers would hope this would take down the missile in a similar manner to how a US warship intercepted one of Tehran’s missiles heading towards Diego Garcia.
Surveillance aircraft would also fill the skies as Nato‘s missile defence systems go on high alert.
Despite these defences – the chance of actually intercepting a nuclear bomb successfully is still incredibly small.
The rocket’s immense speed and sophisticated countermeasures combined with limited reaction time would leave the UK extremely vulnerable.
A focused intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) attack would have no problem cruising past British defence systems, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
Effective defence systems to fend of such an attack are still an “ambition” for many European countries rather than a reality, the think tank claims.
Regardless of the activity in the air, the U.K. government also has a plan in place which would see them issue three major steps in the event of a nuclear attack – go in, stay in, tune in.
The first instruction orders residents to go inside immediately to avoid radiation – also advising to shut all doors and windows and stay far from external walls.
Remaining indoors and closing off all exit points is the next step – ensuring that radiation exposure stays minimal.
Tuning in to news outlets and following UK guidelines is the final step to make sure survivors know how to navigate the next steps.
Despite Israel and experts warning of an Iranian ICBM attack, No. 10 says this is not a possibility.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said on Sunday: “There is no specific assessment that the Iranians are targeting the UK or even could if they wanted to.”
The grave possibility that Tehran could launch an attack on Britain has sharply risen in recent days after they threatened to blitz Brit holiday destinations within reach.
Keir Starmer‘s U-turn to allow Donald Trump to use Brit base Diego Garcia is understood to have brought the island into Tehran’s crosshairs.
It comes as the war in the Middle East continues to spiral, nearing its one-month anniversary.
Over the weekend, terrifying footage showed the moment Iranian missiles rained down on towns near Israel’s secretive arsenal of nuclear weapons.
More than 180 people were wounded in Dimona and Arad, in southern Israel – including two children in serious condition.
Plans have reportedly been drawn up for Trump’s marines to storm Iran’s vital island fortresses to unlock the Strait of Hormuz, insiders have told The Sun.
Despite being no more than flecks on the map, these tiny Tehran-controlled territories have outsized importance – pulling the strings on critical oil trade.
