LONDON

UK Defense Secretary John Healey said on Sunday Britain is focused on defensive operations but declined to rule out future strikes as tensions escalate across the Middle East.

Speaking to Sky News and the BBC, Healey confirmed that the Royal Air Force jets are operating over the region in what he described as a defensive capacity.

“They will shoot down missiles or drones heading towards UK allies, such as Qatar and Cyprus,” he said.

Healey said 300 British personnel were stationed near a military base in Bahrain when Iran struck it on Saturday, with some “within several hundred yards of the strike.”

He said he was concerned that the “increasingly indiscriminate attacks from Iran widely across the Middle East are putting British personnel and British people at risk.”

He also confirmed that two missiles had been fired in the direction of Greek Cypriot Administration.

“It demonstrates how our bases, our personnel, military and civilians at the moment are at risk with a regime that is increasingly indiscriminate, widespread and uncontrolled in the attacks it's mounting,” he said.

Asked whether the UK could shift from defensive to offensive operations, Healey said: “Well, we've been no part of the strikes.

“We are concentrating the efforts that we are making on defensive actions. We've done that from the start, and moved in extra radars, planes and other weapon systems to Cyprus and to Qatar.

“We're flying, as we speak, over this weekend as part of that regional coordination. And all our actions are about defending UK interests and defending UK allies.”

But challenged on whether Britain could directly attack Iran alongside its allies, he responded: “I'm not going to speculate, and you wouldn't expect me to on a hypothetical situation or potential discussions and operations.”

“It will always be the case that the action we take and the action we're taking at the moment is within the established rules of engagement, will remain to defend our interests in the collective interest of other allies, and it will be within international law,” he noted.

Healey also warned of what he described as a “really serious and deteriorating situation,” citing the “rising risks of increasing Iranian indiscriminate, retaliatory attacks.”

Greek Cypriot leader reaffirms island ‘was not a target'

Following Healey's announcement on two missiles fired in their direction, Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides said, on US social media platform X, that during a phone call, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer "confirmed clearly and unequivocally” that the island “was not a target."

"In relation to statements and media reports referring to the launch of missiles … it is clarified that this is not the case and there is no indication whatsoever that any threat to the country has occurred," government spokesman Konstantinos Letympiotis also said on X.

The US and Iran launched a joint attack on Iran on Saturday, with Tehran staging retaliatory missile and drone strikes.

Iran on Sunday confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top officials.