Britain says it is for US to set out legal basis for Iran strikes

LONDON, March 1 (Reuters) - Britain's Defence Secretary John Healey on Sunday declined to explicitly back strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, saying it was for the U.S. to "set out the legal basis of the action it took".

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the air strikes on Saturday, Iran's state media has confirmed.

Healey told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg that Britain played no part in the strikes, but it did share the aim of the United States and other allies in the region that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon.

Asked if he believed the strikes were within international law, Healey said: "It is for the U.S. to set out the legal basis of the action that it took."

Healey said Iran was retaliating in an increasingly indiscriminate way, targeting civilian airports and hotels as well as military bases.

"We have strengthened the UK defences in the region, we are active in regional defence operations," he told Sky News.

He said UK aircraft were operating from bases in Qatar and Cyprus and were intercepting drone attacks on bases and allies.

It was a "serious and deteriorating situation", he said, and there was a rising risk of "indiscriminate retaliatory attacks".

He cited two missiles fired in the direction of Cyprus, although he added: "We don't believe they were targeted at Cyprus."

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had called him to discuss regional developments.

"(Starmer) confirmed clearly and unequivocally that Cyprus was not a target," Christodoulides said on X.

"We are maintaining direct communication. All relevant authorities are fully engaged and monitoring developments closely."