Iran fires first long-range missiles toward US–UK Diego Garcia base
Shafaq News- Washington
Iran has launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles toward the joint US–UK military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, marking its first operational use of such weapons, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing US officials.
Neither missile reached the base, according to the report, with one failing mid-flight while a US warship engaged the second using an SM-3 interceptor, though the outcome of the intercept remains unclear.
The newspaper said the attempted strike indicates an expansion in Iran’s operational reach, targeting a site about 4,000 kilometers from its territory, well beyond previously stated limits.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has maintained that Tehran caps its missile range at 2,000 kilometers. However, the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control estimates ranges of up to 4,000 kilometers, and Israel’s Alma Research and Education Center places the figure closer to 3,000 kilometers, noting ongoing efforts to extend it further.
Diego Garcia, located in the British Indian Ocean Territory, serves as a key strategic hub hosting US bombers, nuclear submarines, and guided-missile destroyers.
The development comes amid rising tensions and continued military exchanges involving Iran, the United States, and Israel since Feb. 28.
The United Kingdom and Mauritius are also negotiating the future sovereignty of Diego Garcia and the wider Chagos Islands, including a potential long-term lease to preserve the US–UK military presence, a proposal that faces opposition from President Donald Trump and several Republican lawmakers.
