Name: UK troops and civilians being put at risk by Iran strikes, Defence Secretary says | BBC News
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Now, events have moved very, very fast in the last 24 hours, but

this story, of course, did not start in the last few days.

Transition words & phrases

This chapter, though, did begin in the early hours yesterday.

The US And Israel launch coordinated airstrikes right across Iran.

When we are finished, take over your government, it will be yours to take.

Iran promised to respond with crushing force.

The United Kingdom played no role in these strikes.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed.

Well, let's talk to the Defense Secretary.

Thank you very much indeed for coming in this morning.

Is it a good thing that the ayatollah is dead?

No one will mourn his death, not least those friends and families of the tens of thousands of young protesters that were murdered on the streets of Iran in recent months.

But make no mistake, this is a regime that he has run for decades as a source of evil.

It's exported terror, including to Britain.

And my concern now is the increasingly indiscriminate attacks from Iran widely across the Middle east, putting British personnel and British people, civilians, at risk.

And so my first job as Defence secretary is to protect those British people, civilians and military.

Our British bases reinforce regional security and do all we can to prevent further regional escalation, which is what the Prime Minister was talking about yesterday.

So you think right now Iran's retaliation is putting British troops and British civilians at risk across the region?

Let me confirm a few fresh details for you.

When I talk about increasingly indiscriminate attacks, I know people at home will be worried that not just military targets were hit last yesterday, but

also, we've seen hotels in Dubai, in Bahrain, we've seen Kuwait civilian airport.

But in that Bahrain military base that was hit by missiles and drones Yesterday, we had 300 British personnel, some within several hundred yards of the strike.

In Cyprus, we had two ballistic missiles fired in the direction of Cyprus.

Now, we are pretty sure they weren't targeted at Cyprus, but

nevertheless, 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.

But what are you actually doing about that?

Well, several weeks ago, we've reinforced Britain's defenses in the region.

More radars, planes and weapons systems in place.

We're flying British planes in the air throughout yesterday and overnight.

It's reinforcing that sense of security and it's trying to protect, first and foremost our British bases and our British personnel, which is my principal priority as British Defence Secretary.

And we know also there are many people even who've just been on holiday in the region, as well as people who are expats.

And I'd just like to play you what one of them has told us.

Fiona Klaxon, who's there with her family on holiday.

There was about five consecutive large explosions at about 5 o' clock this morning.

And, you know, the wall, the glass reverberated and stuff.

But when it all kicked off last night, you know, you sort of go into.

I don't scare easily, but it's sort of the uncertainty, I think, as much as anything.

Nothing people can do, but it's just, how long is this going to go on?

If you go onto the consulate website, which I find very intriguing, you can find nowhere to register that you're here on holiday, which would have been help.

Her wider family back home will be worried.

I've got a friend in Dubai I was in communication with last night and he was messaging me from the underground hotel car park as they took shelter with another air raid siren.

What people should do is follow the Foreign Office travel advice.

For some countries, like Israel and Palestine, it is simply, don't go there.

For most of the countries in the Middle east, it is a question of registering your presence.

And for some countries, it's a question of advice to stay at home, take shelter.

And so what people should do is go to that Foreign Office website.

You can also register your presence there, but above all, you'll get the bang.

Up to date travel advice as this situation in the Middle east develops very rapidly.

And in terms then, of those developments in the UK's government's position, do you back what America and Israel have done?

It's been condemned by the United Nations.

Some of your colleagues have said it is illegal.

Does the government back what they've done?

Britain played no part in the strikes on Iran.

We share, however, the primary aim of all allies in the region and the US that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon.

Do you believe this action was within international law?

Well, we played no part in the strikes, we just didn't participate.

And it is for the US to set out the legal basis of the action that it took Our first focus, you don't know if it's legal.

You don't have a, have a view as to whether or not these strikes were the right thing to do and within international law.

So it's, it's for the US to explain the legal basis they're operating.

But other countries, forgive me, other important allies of the UK have, so Canada, for example, Australia for example, close allies of yours and of this country's have both said explicitly that they do back what America and Israel have done.

So I'm here as British Defence Secretary.

Our first focus and all our action is defensive, it's within international law, it's coordinated with regional allies to make sure that we can reinforce and protect not just our UK personnel and people, but

UK allies, bases and partners in the region.

We show that determination that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon.

And we have a different answer to the question of whether or not you back these dramatic, some would say audacious and courageous, some would say reckless and dangerous actions by America and Israel.

Do you think it was reckless or do you think it was right?

Look, we played no part in these strikes.

But Secretary of State, this is a moment of history and everyone watching this morning will want to know and will expect to know from their government if is Britain on the side of those two countries who have killed Iran's supreme leader.

So I think people watching, people like Fiona, will want to know now, today that Britain is on top of what's necessary to do what we can to keep them safe, to reinforce regional stability, prevent further escalation.

And that's my task and that's my priority as Defence Secretary of the uk.

We can hear you're not going to give us a view this morning, but

do you rule the UK being involved in further strikes, do you rule that out?

Well, I'm simply not going to speculate on.

No, it is hypotheticals, it's future speculation.

First of all, everything that we do is within international law.

Secondly, everything that we are doing with our first focus is about defensive action of our people, of our allies, of our interests in the region.

And we're coordinating that with allies to make that stronger.

Do you believe this is the end of the regime in Iran that has ruled for decades?

Well, I think my focus is like Keir Starmer called for yesterday, actually

whoever's in Iran now, he called for Iran, Iran to end this now.

To cease the increasingly indiscriminate widespread attacks on civilian as well as military targets throughout the Middle east, to give up its weapons programs and help return to the path of diplomacy, which in the end is the long run way to secure stability in that region.