The targets Iran could strike as it issues chilling threat to UK amid ongoing conflict

If Iran carries out a threat to strike British bases in the Middle East as part of the escalating conflict with Israel then there would only be certain places it could strike.

While relations between Iran and Israel have been hostile for a long time with several missile exchanges between the two countries, Israel resumed open hostilities earlier this week when it struck targets across Iran.

Several nuclear development sites in Iran were targeted along with some senior military personnel, and Iran responded by saying Israel 'started a war' and firing back missiles of its own.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes were 'a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival', claiming that Iran 'could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time'.

He also said that the bombardment of Iran would continue 'for as many days as it takes'.

Iran has been hit with missile strikes by Israel, and fired back in retaliation (Stringer/Getty Images)

What has Iran threatened to do to the UK?

Iranian state media has threatened to strike military bases and ships belonging to the UK, US and France if those countries help Israel defend against retaliatory missile strikes, declaring there would be 'grave and far-reaching consequences' if these countries were 'supporters' of Israel in this conflict.

The UK has not been involved in the conflict thus far, whether with Israel's first missile strikes or with defence against Iranian retaliation.

While Britain may be among the countries threatened, Iran has said it believes the US to be Israel's 'primary patron' and argued that it would also 'bear responsibility' for the attack.

US President Donald Trump has insisted that should Iran strike any American bases in the region it would face 'the full strength and might of the US armed forces'.

Iran has threatened to strike military bases of countries if they're 'supporters' of Israel (Wisam Hashlamoun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

What has the UK government said so far?

British government officials have been stressing that the UK wasn't involved in Israel's missile strikes on Iran, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has called for 'de-escalation' of the conflict.

He added that the UK was sending more jets to the Middle East.

He said: "These are obviously operational decisions and the situation is ongoing and developing and therefore I’m not going to get into the precise details, but we are moving assets, we’ve already been moving assets to the region, including jets, and that is for contingency support across the region.

"So that is happening.

"Our constant message is de-escalate, and therefore everything we’re doing, all discussions we’re having are to do with de-escalation."

British citizens have also been advised not to travel to Israel.

The UK has said it is not helping Israel with the conflict, and Keir Starmer called for 'de-escalation' (Jordan Pettitt - WPA Pool / Getty Images)

What are the potential UK targets?

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Iran's weapons have a range of around 2,000km, meaning that they could not strike targets beyond Eastern Europe, let alone fire something that might make it to the UK.

However, the UK has bases and personnel stationed within Iran's strike range, with a base in Bahrain as well as access to bases in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Britain also has bases in Cyprus, which would also be within range of Iran's longer range missiles.