The British government confirmed the readiness of its armed forces to counter any attack targeting the United Kingdom, following threats by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to target British bases in connection with the United States' use of RAF Fairford in southwestern England to carry out strikes against Iran.

A British government spokesperson said that the armed forces are "ready to maintain the UK's security and protect it from any kind of attack, whether on its soil or from abroad," affirming that the country is "on high alert to defend itself around the clock."

He added that Britain relies on a "multi-layered approach" to air and missile defense, based on the capabilities of the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Air Force, working in coordination with London's allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The British stance came after the IRGC threatened in a statement on Thursday to target any base used to launch attacks against Iran, saying that the United States had used RAF Fairford for the takeoff of bombers that carried out strikes inside Iranian territory. Neither London nor Washington has confirmed this account, nor has it been independently verified.

Last week, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham reiterated his government's commitment to an existing defense agreement allowing the United States to use British bases in what London described as "collective self-defense" in the region.

The British government confirmed on Wednesday that this arrangement includes U.S. defensive operations aimed at neutralizing sites and missile capabilities used to attack ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

In response to the Iranian threats, the spokesperson said the government's position "has not changed," and that Britain is committed to defending its people, interests, and allies in accordance with international law, while striving at the same time to avoid being drawn into a broader regional conflict.

These statements come as the United States continues its strikes inside Iran for the thirteenth consecutive night, following the effective collapse of a temporary truce, while Tehran has launched attacks toward Arab countries, including Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, had previously warned European countries against allowing their territories or military bases to be used in any operations targeting Iran, saying that any country providing such facilities would be considered, from Tehran's perspective, an accomplice in the aggression and would bear the consequences.

U.S. Air Force B-52 strategic bombers sit on the runway at the British RAF Fairford base last April (EPA)

In this context, the Iranian threat also followed the Bulgarian parliament's approval to allow the U.S. military to use Bezmer Air Base to support its operations in the Middle East. However, the Bulgarian government was quick to emphasize that U.S. aircraft would perform logistical missions only, and that carrying out combat operations from Bulgarian territory is "completely out of the question."

Iranian attacks have previously targeted military installations associated with Britain. Reports in March indicated that Iran fired two ballistic missiles toward the joint U.S.-British military base on Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean, though they missed their target.

Additionally, an Iranian-made Shahed drone caused minor damage on March 2 after hitting facilities at the British RAF Akrotiri base in southern Cyprus. London later stated that the base would not be included in the defense agreement allowing the United States to use British facilities to carry out operations in the region.

Experts believe that Iran may possess a missile capable in terms of range of reaching London, but its likely lack of precision makes the level of direct threat low.

Relations between London and Tehran have witnessed escalating tension for months, with British authorities accusing Iran of being behind cyberattacks and using criminal networks and proxies to target dissidents and interests inside the United Kingdom.

British security agencies stated that over the past year they uncovered 20 Iran-backed plots that could have resulted in fatalities.

Britain also announced this month a ban on providing any support to the IRGC under new security powers enacted to counter what it described as Tehran's increasing use of backed proxies.

The move also followed a series of attacks targeting Jewish sites in London. The British government stated that the IRGC is "almost certainly" responsible for directing a group believed to be behind a number of those attacks.

In a related development, two Romanian nationals—whom prosecutors said were working for Iran—were sentenced to prison this month after being convicted of involvement in the stabbing of a journalist working for a Persian-language media outlet in London.

In contrast, Tehran consistently denies involvement in such attacks, describing the British accusations as "baseless" and politically motivated.

Miliband in Doha

On the political front, Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani received British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on Friday.

According to the Qatar News Agency (QNA), the two sides discussed cooperative relations between the two countries and ways to support and enhance them, as well as the latest regional developments, particularly diplomatic efforts exerted to de-escalate tensions and promote security and stability in the region.

During the meeting, the Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the need for parties to commit to dialogue and diplomacy, and to implement what was agreed upon within the framework of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran—including ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz—to preserve regional security, safeguard achieved gains, and promote regional stability.

He reiterated Qatar's full support for all endeavors aimed at defusing tension and reaching a comprehensive agreement that achieves sustainable peace in the region.

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