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As the US and Israeli-led bombardment of the Middle Eastern nation rages on, a military historian and author has shed light on Iran's missile capabilities and assessed its threat to the UK
11:50, Wed, Mar 18, 2026 Updated: 11:53, Wed, Mar 18, 2026
Ballistic missile Ghadr is launched during the second day of military exercises (Image: Getty)
Iran possesses a missile capable of reaching the UK, but there is a crucial reason why such an attack remains highly unlikely for now, it has been suggested. As the US and Israeli-led bombardment of the Middle Eastern country persists, military historian and author Dr Mark Felton has offered his insights on Iran's missile capabilities.
Following the assault, Iran launched retaliatory attacks against its Gulf neighbours, causing oil prices to soar dramatically and a new front to open in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Iran has sealed off the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil shipments. Mark started his commentary by referring to a previous video, in which he examined the hypothetical scenario of Russia launching a non-nuclear attack on the UK using swarms of cruise missiles deployed from aircraft and submarines. Speaking in a video for his YouTube channel, Mark Felton Productions, he outlined how this type of assault could target key components of Britain's infrastructure and defences-including power, radar and early warning systems, ports, bridges, and military bases.
Two Iran-made ballistic missiles, Zolfaghar (top) and Zolfaghar Basir, are displayed during a rally (Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
In a further disconcerting note, Mark asserted that the UK is "not prepared for any such attacks". He highlighted that we don't have an Israeli-style Iron Dome air defence system or surface-to-air missiles protecting our infrastructure or nuclear power.
Mark turned his attention to the ongoing conflict with Iran and the disturbing possibility of Iranian missiles targeting the UK, citing commentary that suggests ballistic missiles could potentially reach "deep into Western Europe."
Mark clarified that this is "completely true" and raised the question: "Could an Iran fighting for its existence against its enemies and possessing vast stocks of missiles lob a few at us Europeans as punishment for our government's support of the Israeli US attack?
"And could they even strike London? The answer is really quite fascinating and highlights the great danger of going to war with such a nation as Iran."
Smoke trails are seen in the sky over Jerusalem as missiles launched from Iran (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Mark observed that Iran has apparently "self-limited" the range of the majority of its ballistic missiles to roughly 2,000km. However, it also possesses the Khorramshahr-4 – a missile capable of achieving an "absolute maximum range" of 3,000km, depending on the warhead's weight.
He clarified that the latter is based on information from experts, but if we presume this is correct, then Iran could launch a missile from the west of the country and strike Copenhagen, Denmark, which is a distance of some 592 miles to London by train.
London remains "completely out of range", though Mark noted that Iran is in possession of other rockets that have the range "probably to hit the UK", but they are not presently being deployed for this purpose.
Mark said: "Iran does possess a couple of rocket types that certainly have the range probably to hit the UK, though probably also they have not yet been modified to deliver a conventional warhead.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (7th L) poses with government officials underneath the Simorgh (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
"And those rockets are, of course, used in Iran's space programme. Iran has been placing its own satellites into orbit for some years using space launch vehicles or SLVs.
"Western nations have been concerned for years that Iranian SLVs could provide a pathway to an intercontinental ballistic missile capability, ICBM, if Iran successfully develops a nuclear warhead."
Fortunately, however, there is "no evidence" that the nation has accomplished this. Mark then directed his audience's attention to some of the SLVs in Iran's arsenal, including one that has a 3,000 to 4000km range, the Ghaem-100.
Mark maintained that this particular missile is likely incapable of striking Britain, but the Iranians "do have such a rocket", the Simorgh; this has a range of 4,000 to 6,000km.
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Nevertheless, he highlighted certain critical difficulties for Iran, including accuracy and engineering a re-entry vehicle robust enough to safeguard the warhead from the heat and stress associated with atmospheric re-entry.
Summing up, he stressed that the key reason Iran will unlikely ever hit the UK with a missile is because it does not have the systems required to effectively deploy warheads, rendering it "technically impossible for Iran to bombard the UK" for now.
English (US) · 