Iran Missiles Target UK-US Base on Diego Garcia: What to Know

Iran launched a missile attack on the joint U.S.-U.K. Military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean on Saturday, prompting condemnation from London and raising questions about the range of Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities. The attack, which involved two intermediate-range ballistic missiles, was unsuccessful, with one missile failing in flight and the other intercepted by a U.S. Warship, according to U.S. Officials.

The U.K.’s Ministry of Defence described Iran’s actions as “reckless attacks,” while Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper affirmed the U.K.’s commitment to defensive support against Iranian threats, but stressed a desire to avoid wider conflict in the Middle East. “We recognise Iran’s escalating threats to international shipping as well as their threats to our Gulf partners,” Cooper said.

The attempted strike on Diego Garcia, located approximately 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from Iran, is particularly significant because it appears to exceed the previously acknowledged range of Iran’s ballistic missiles. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated earlier this month that Iran intentionally limited the range of its missiles to 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) to avoid being perceived as a threat. However, military analysts suggest Iran’s Khorramshahr missile may have a range of up to 1,800 miles. Some analysts, including those at Israel’s Alma Research and Education Center, believe Iran may have utilized its Simorgh space launch rocket in an improvised manner to achieve greater range, albeit with reduced accuracy.

The U.S. Military has declined to comment on the incident. The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Used an SM-3 interceptor missile to shoot down one of the incoming projectiles. CNN as well reported the launches, citing a U.S. Official who described Diego Garcia as a crucial staging post for U.S. Military operations.

Diego Garcia is a remote British overseas territory and hosts a strategically important joint U.S.-U.K. Military base. The U.S. Has described the base as “an all but indispensable platform” for security operations in the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa, supporting operations dating back to the Vietnam War. In recent years, it has been used to deploy nuclear-capable B-2 Spirit bombers and has been implicated in clandestine rendition flights of terror suspects.

The incident comes after the U.K. Initially resisted U.S. Requests to use Diego Garcia as a launchpad for potential attacks on Iranian targets, but subsequently agreed to allow American bombers to use the base, along with another British facility, to target Iranian missile sites involved in attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.K. Government has stipulated that its bases will only be used for “specific and limited defensive operations.”

In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on X that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer “is putting British lives in danger by allowing UK bases to be used for aggression against Iran.”

The status of the Chagos Archipelago, of which Diego Garcia is a part, has been a source of ongoing controversy. Britain forcibly evicted as many as 2,000 people from Diego Garcia in the 1960s and 1970s to facilitate the construction of the U.S. Military base. The United Nations and the International Court of Justice have called for the U.K. To end its administration of the islands and transfer sovereignty to Mauritius.

Last year, the U.K. Reached a deal with Mauritius to transfer sovereignty, while retaining a 99-year lease on the Diego Garcia base. The agreement, intended to safeguard the base’s future, has faced criticism from British opposition politicians who fear it could lead to interference from China and Russia. Displaced Chagos islanders and their descendants have also challenged the deal, seeking assurances about their potential return to their homeland.

The U.S. Administration initially supported the U.K.-Mauritius deal, but former President Donald Trump reversed his position in January, calling it “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY” on his social media platform. Trump also criticized Prime Minister Starmer’s initial reluctance to allow U.S. Attacks from Diego Garcia, calling the U.K. “very, very uncooperative.” Passage of the deal through the U.K. Parliament remains on hold pending renewed U.S. Support.