‘Few will mourn’ Ayatollah’s death in US-Israeli strikes, says Defence Secretary

Defence Secretary John Healey said “few people will mourn” the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following his death in joint US-Israeli strikes on Saturday.

Iranian state TV confirmed the death of 86-year-old Mr Khamenei early on Sunday as Iran continued to retaliate to the attacks by firing missiles at Gulf neighbours and Israel.

US President Donald Trump had previously claimed Mr Khamenei died in the attacks and urged the Iranian people to seize “the single greatest chance… to take back their country”.

Giving the first UK Government response to Mr Khamenei’s death, Mr Healey told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “I think few people will mourn the Ayatollah’s death, not least the family and friends of those thousands of young protesters murdered on the streets of Iranian cities.

“Iran and the regime he’s led for so long, it’s a source of evil, murdering its own citizens and sponsoring and exporting terror, including to countries like Britain.”

The Defence Secretary warned Iran is now “lashing out in an increasingly indiscriminate and widespread way”, pointing to attacks on an airport in Kuwait and hotels in Dubai and Bahrain.

Mr Healey added that Iranian missiles and drones had landed within “a few hundred yards” of some 300 British troops at a base in Bahrain, while two missiles had been fired in the direction of Cyprus, where thousands of UK personnel are based.

He said: “We don’t believe they were targeted at Cyprus, but nevertheless it’s an example of how there is a very real and rising threat from a regime that is lashing out widely across the region.”

On Saturday, Sir Keir Starmer said UK aircraft were in the sky as part of defensive operations, which continued into Sunday.

Mr Healey said UK planes were “taking down” drones and missiles that were “menacing” British bases and allies in the region, such as Qatar.

But he declined to say whether the UK had refused the US permission to use British bases such as Diego Garcia to strike Iran, or comment on the legality of America and Israel’s actions.

He said: “That is for the US to set out and explain. It’s not for me, as Defence Secretary of the UK, I’m here to speak for the UK.”