UK ‘is inside vary of lethal missiles’ from seven main nations — see full listing

The world is on the edge of . . . well, possibly World War 3, or just maybe some big battles here and there. And this has led many mouthpieces in the UK to claim that we’re in grave danger of being hit by missiles from everyone, everywhere.

So, the Daily Star set about trying to find just which big countries could actually strike us if WW3 happened, and we were surprised by the results.

Having chatted to Google’s artificial intelligence-powered large languge model called Gemini (the pro version, because we’re posh), it named seven countries who could attack us. In among that list are a few allies, and it even named to wild countries that wouldn’t actually be able to strike us despite what several “experts” claims.

Gemini said: “Based on current, verified military capabilities, seven countries possess the technical range to strike the UK from their own territory or via their naval fleets.

Who can strike us and what with:

1. Russia

• Capability: Extensive. Russia operates a massive nuclear triad, including silo-based and mobile ICBMs (like the RS-24 Yars and the heavy RS-28 Sarmat), SLBMs launched from submarines, and air-launched cruise missiles.

• Reach: Can strike the UK from deep within Russian territory, from surrounding airspace, or from the sea.

2. United States

• Capability: Extensive. The US maintains an advanced arsenal, primarily relying on Minuteman III ICBMs (which it actively continues to test) and Trident II SLBMs on Ohio-class submarines.

• Reach: Easily capable of striking the UK from North American silos or global waters, though the US is the UK’s closest military ally.

3. China

• Capability: High. China has a rapidly modernizing and expanding arsenal of ICBMs (such as the DF-41, with an estimated range of 12,000–15,000 km) and a growing fleet of Type 094 ballistic missile submarines.

• Reach: Can target the UK directly from mainland China or from the ocean.

4. France

• Capability: Submarine and Air-based. France does not use land-based ICBMs, relying instead on a highly effective sea-based deterrent (Triomphant-class submarines carrying M51 SLBMs) and air-launched cruise missiles.

• Reach: Given its geographic proximity and naval reach, France can easily strike the UK, though it is a close NATO ally.

5. North Korea

• Capability: Viable and expanding. North Korea has successfully developed and tested several ICBMs capable of reaching Europe. Most recently, in October 2025, they unveiled the solid-fueled Hwasong-20, an advanced ICBM with an estimated range of 15,000 km, adding to their existing Hwasong-18 and Hwasong-19 arsenals.

• Reach: The distance from Pyongyang to London is roughly 8,600 km. North Korea’s newer ICBMs put the UK comfortably within their technical striking range.

6. India

• Capability: Intercontinental. India’s Agni-V is a road-mobile ballistic missile with an estimated range of 5,000 to over 7,000 km. They also operate an expanding fleet of Arihant-class ballistic missile submarines.

• Reach: The distance from New Delhi to London is about 6,700 km. The Agni-V brings parts or all of Europe, including the UK, into range.

7. Israel

• Capability: Unacknowledged but widely assessed. Israel maintains a policy of nuclear ambiguity but is universally understood by global defense analysts to possess the Jericho III intermediate-to-intercontinental ballistic missile.

• Reach: The Jericho III is estimated to have a range of 4,800 to 6,500+ km. Tel Aviv is roughly 3,550 km from London, putting the UK well within range.

Notable exceptions:

It is just as important to note heavily armed nations that currently cannot strike the UK with a dedicated military missile from their territory:

• Iran: While Iran has (or did have . . . until Trump happened) Space Launch Vehicles (SLVs) that could theoretically travel 4,000+ km, its dedicated military ballistic missile arsenal (like the Khorramshahr and Sejjil) caps out around 2,000 to 2,500 km. Furthermore, as recently as March 2026, Iran formally announced a strategic policy to limit its military missile range to 2,000 km. Because the UK is over 4,000 km away, it remains safely out of range of Iran’s deployed military arsenal.

• Pakistan: Pakistan’s longest-range missile, the Shaheen-III, has an estimated range of 2,750 km. Islamabad is roughly 6,000 km from London, so Pakistan cannot currently strike the UK.

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