Iranian participation in conflicts “is one of our most serious threats to this country in the future”, the Defence Secretary has suggested during a Commons debate on Ukraine.
John Healey made his warning at the despatch box on Tuesday, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed Russia has now received shipments of ballistic missiles from Iran while on a separate visit to London.
Labour backbencher Dan Carden (Liverpool Walton) asked the Cabinet minister about a “growing alliance building between Russia and Iran, one that is united on undermining democracy and certainly risks further proxy wars”.
Mr Healey replied: “We have been warning, and in fact, the previous government were warning too, about the deepening security alliance between Iran and Russia.
“And that’s why alongside the international partners at the Nato summit, part of the declaration from that summit in Washington was to warn Iran that any transfer not just of drone technology but particularly of ballistic missile technology to Russia would be regarded as a significant escalation at the time.”
After the US summit in July, Nato members agreed in their declaration that “any transfer of ballistic missiles and related technology by Iran to Russia would represent a substantial escalation”.
Mr Healey added in the Commons: “Iran’s destabilisation is not a malign influence that is simply felt throughout parts of the Middle East. It has wider repercussions, which is why it is one of our most serious threats to this country in the future.”
Mr Blinken met Foreign Secretary David Lammy on a visit to the UK.
“Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine, against Ukrainians,” he said.
Conservative MP Sir Julian Lewis (New Forest East) asked the minister to “assure the House that if America elects a president who does not wish to support Ukraine, the support for Ukraine by the remaining European members of Nato will intensify not diminish”.
Mr Healey replied: “So when as a Government we declare that we are ready and we show we are stepping up support for Ukraine when we say we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes for them to prevail, we mean it, whatever the decisions of other countries may or may not be.
“I absolutely don’t expect whatever the result of the US elections, for the US to walk away from Ukraine.”
Sir Julian added: “When he goes into battle for a good defence budget with the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rachel Reeves), will he remind her that in the 1980s and the Cold War, we regularly spent 4.5% to 5.1% of GDP on defence?”
Mr Healey claimed that when he meets with Ms Reeves, he would “go into those discussions with a copy of our Labour manifesto” which pledged a “path to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence”.
Several Conservative MPs including shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge pressed the Defence Secretary on whether he would let Ukrainian forces use long-range missiles, including Storm Shadow missiles, beyond their borders, in Russia.
“We would have no hesitation in supporting the Government in continuing that leadership, were they to confirm to the Ukrainian government that they have maximum freedom of operation with regard to all the munitions we have supplied, including long-range missiles,” Mr Cartlidge said.
Tory former minister Mark Francois said: “After two-and-a-half years of a barbaric Russian invasion, we cannot expect the Ukrainians to keep resisting with one hand tied behind their back.
“That means whilst the Russians attack power stations with long-range missiles at will with winter coming, whilst they use glide bombs which are brutally effective as tactical weapons on the front line, we have to allow the Ukrainians full freedom of action to retaliate, not just as military necessity but to maintain their own morale.”
Mr Healey answered: “Only Putin benefits from an open debate about these sensitive issues, and I will not comment on operational discussions.
“But there has been no change in the UK’s position, we continue to provide military aid to Ukraine, as I’ve set out, to support their clear right to self-defence, and in line with the operation of international humanitarian law.”
He later said: “This is not about retaliation, it’s about self-defence.”