Marking a further escalation in the already volatile conflict, Iran on Friday launched ballistic missiles targeting the joint US-UK military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, according to Bloomberg.
The strike indicated a level of missile capability beyond what Tehran was previously believed to possess. Diego Garcia, a critical military airbase capable of hosting B-2 stealth bombers, lies about 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometres) from Iran. Citing sources, the report said the joint US-UK facility did not sustain damage.
In the three-week-long conflict, this marked the first reported instance of Tehran deploying weapons with a range exceeding 2,000 miles. The Wall Street Journal reported that one missile malfunctioned mid-air, while another was intercepted by a US warship using an SM-3 system.
A report by the Indian Express suggests that such an operation suggests Iran may have developed and fielded intermediate-range ballistic missiles, an advance beyond its known inventory, which has largely comprised medium-range systems with a reach of up to 3,000 km.
Iran targets Diego Garcia Bloomberg reported that Friday’s strike came hours after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government authorised the US to use British bases, including Diego Garcia, for “specific and limited defensive operations.” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised the decision.
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The attempt to strike the strategically important base in the Indian Ocean also raises the risk of the conflict spreading beyond the Middle East.
William Alberque, a Europe-based senior fellow at the Pacific Forum, said, “Nobody, and I mean nobody, even guessed” Iran possessed missiles of such range. He added that the strike likely involved a modified system, possibly even a prototype, indicating the presence of facilities capable of carrying out such adaptations.
Alberque further suggested that Iran may have reduced the missile’s payload, potentially removing its warhead, to extend its range. He also indicated that the weapon could have been a one-off modified design.
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Iranian minister cites 2,000-km cap Weeks before the incident, Araghchi had rejected US President Donald Trump’s claims that Iran was developing long-range missiles capable of reaching the United States or nearing the production of a nuclear weapon. He maintained that Iran had intentionally limited its missile range to 2,000 km, describing the programme as “strictly defensive.” However, US officials quoted by the Wall Street Journal said Friday’s strike challenges that assertion.
Diego Garcia According to the Associated Press, Washington has described the Diego Garcia base as “an all but indispensable platform” for operations across the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa. The base hosts around 2,500 personnel, mostly American, and has supported US military campaigns from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2008, the US acknowledged that Diego Garcia had been used for covert rendition flights involving terror suspects.