March 1, 2026, 11:51 amMarch 1, 2026, 12:38 p.m
British Defense Secretary John Healey warns of the danger of “increasingly indiscriminate Iranian retaliatory attacks.” Two rockets were fired towards Cyprus. “We don’t believe they were specifically aimed at Cyprus,” Healey told Sky News. But it is an example of the fact that there is a “very real (…) threat from a regime” that is spreading widely throughout the region.
British Defense Minister John Healey gave an interview to the Sky News TV channel.Image: keystone
Great Britain is taking part in a defensive military operation in the Middle East, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Saturday. Healey explained that British planes shoot down drones and missiles when they see them. The units will start in Bahrain and Cyprus, among others. “So when I talk about the UK playing a role in strengthening regional stability through coordinated regional defense operations, that’s exactly what I mean,” Healey said.
He also criticized the fact that Iranian commanders are increasingly being allowed to choose their own targets as the country “loses control over its command and command structures.”
Cyprus rejects reports of Iranian missiles
The government of the EU island republic of Cyprus has rejected reports that Iranian missiles were fired towards the Mediterranean island. Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis wrote on Platform X on Sunday that such representations were not correct.
In connection with statements and media reports about rockets being fired towards Cyprus, it is made clear that “this is not the case and there is no indication that there was a threat to the country,” explained Letymbiotis. The responsible authorities are monitoring the situation continuously and very closely, it said. (hkl/sda/dpa)