'London needs Iron Dome', former security chief warns as UK 'not safe' from Iranian and Russian missiles

Former Cabinet Secretary Lord Sedwill issued the warning as part of a rallying cry for Britain to invest in its defences as geopolitical tensions continue to rise.

Speaking to the Standard, the ex-security chief said: "We certainly need proper air defences.

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“An Iron Dome over the whole country is probably not practical, but over key cities and military facilities, it could be.

“The Gulf countries have developed systems quite like that.”

An Iron Dome is an air defence system designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets, missiles and artillery shells.

Armed with three or four launchers containing 20 interceptor missiles each, the system aims to take down hostile projectiles at ranges of between two miles and around 40 miles.

The best-known example is in Israel, which was initially deployed in 2011 and has shot down 90% of rockets launched from Gaza that would have landed in populated areas.

Lord Sedwill led the calls for a UK-based Dome after Iran launched a failed missile attack at the joint UK-US Diego Garcia military base, some 2,400 miles away on the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean.

The strikes sparked fears that Tehran might be able to hit London.

Sir Keir Starmer is being pressured by Donald Trump's administration and Israel to join them in their military action against Iran, warning that the country's rulers had the capability to strike London.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said: “They (Iran) shot two failed missiles on a target 4,000km (2,485 miles) away.

“For years, they told the world that their missiles could only range two (thousand) kilometres (1,242 miles). Surprise. Yet again, Iran lied.

“And to the world. I say London is 4,000km from Iran.”

The Israeli Defence Forces stressed: "We have been saying it: The Iranian terrorist regime poses a global threat.

"Now, with missiles that can reach London, Paris or Berlin."

Ministers have stressed that any missiles fired towards the UK from Iran would be shot down by Nato defences over eastern Europe.

But Lord Sedwill, who was UK National Security Adviser from April 2017 to September 2020, warned the UK needed to rapidly invest “serious” money into bolstering Britain’s armed forces to defend itself and its Nato allies.

While much of the focus is currently on Iran, experts say Britain's greatest threat comes from Russia, which is increasingly engaging in cyberattacks and targeting the UK through underwater cables.

Former Nato chief Lord Robertson believes the UK is "underprepared" for war due to the “ever-expanding welfare budget” and “corrosive complacency” from Sir Keir Starmer’s government.

“We are under attack. We are not safe,” said the former Labour Defence Secretary who led the Government’s Strategic Defence Review.

“Britain’s national security and safety is in peril.”

The Government has committed to spending 2.5% of gross domestic product on defence by 2027, increasing to 3% in the next parliament and a Nato-agreed target of 3.5% by 2035.

Sir Keir defended his position and referred to commitments he has already made to defence spending.

He told the House of Commons: "Last February, that was seven months after taking office, I took the decision to increase defence spending from 2.3 to 2.6% paid by a difficult decision on overseas aid.

"Last June, at the NATO summit, I committed to raising core defence spending to 3.5%."

Addressing his defence plans, he said: "The Strategic Defence Review is a 10-year blueprint for national security.

"The Defence Investment Plan will put that into effect. It will be published as soon as possible. We need to get it right.

"We inherited plans that were uncosted and undeliverable, and we're not going to repeat those mistakes."