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The US has warned that Iran could strike London with its missiles as President Donald Trump rages at the UK. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran shot two missiles at a target 4,000km (2,485 miles) away - the same distance as London is from the country.

He said: "Two days ago, they shot two failed missiles at a target 4,000km away. For years, they only told the world their missiles could only range 2km, surprise - yet again, Iran lied. And to the world I say, London is only 4,000km from Iran. You're telling us that Iran is not a threat to the world. President Trump knows better."

Mr Hegseth's comments come after Iran tried and failed to strike the Diego Garcia military base in the Chagos Islands.

Two missiles were launched last Friday, one was shot down and the other failed, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said. The one that failed managed to travel some 3,000km (1,864 miles) from its launching base.

Sidharth Kaushal, a senior fellow at the think tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) said "it's conceivable" that an Iranian rocket "could reach London".

He told the BBC: "Missile range is an elastic thing - in that if you put a lighter warhead on a missile, you can extend its range."

The missiles that could reach the UK would be "a small number of conventionally-armed ballistic missiles over well-defended airspace... and they're quite inaccurate at very long ranges", he added.

Research analyst Decker Eveleth of the non-profit the CNA Corporation added that while "it's true" that an Iranian missile could reach London, the risk "is pretty low".

He said: "It's true that a missile can reach London. It is not going to be particularly aim-able. I would say the level of risk to London is pretty low."