Britain must swiftly adopt a public warning system against nuclear attack in the wake of increased tensions with Iran, ministers have been told.
The government has been urged to introduce US-style technology that could send millions of mobile phone alerts in the event of an incoming nuclear missile or radioactive ‘dirty bomb’.
Lord Toby Harris, who sits on the national security strategy committee, said recent tensions in the Middle East showed that the system was long overdue in this country.
“I think the likelihood of Iran launching a nuclear attack on Britain any time soon is extremely remote,” he told the Telegraph.
“But we know there is a risk of nuclear material or other harmful materials falling into the hands of terrorist groups, some of whom are backed by Iran.
“It cannot be right that other countries have the technology to warn their citizens of an incoming threat, and we do not. The time for the government to act is now.”
Already used widely in other countries, the technology is designed to protect the public during terror attacks, flooding, fires, radiation leaks or an impending nuclear strike. Thousands of text messages can be sent to a specific area, warning every mobile phone user deemed at risk.
After the US assassination of General Qassim Soleimani, Iran declared that it would no longer abide by any of the restrictions imposed by a major nuclear deal signed in 2015. Suspicions that the country was secretly trying to develop a bomb had prompted the UN Security Council, US and EU to impose crippling sanctions in 2010. US experts previously estimated that it would take Iran two to three months until it had enough 90%-enriched uranium to build a nuclear weapon. Iran has continued to insist that its intentions are peaceful.
