Iran Fired Missiles at Diego Garcia Base in Indian Ocean, WSJ Says
The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran launched two ballistic missiles toward the Diego Garcia base, with neither hitting the target, marking a significant escalation and extended reach.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - In a striking escalation beyond the Middle East, a report revealed that Iran launched ballistic missiles toward a key strategic military base in the Indian Ocean, signaling an expanded reach and a new phase in the ongoing confrontation.
The American newspaper The Wall Street Journal reported, citing multiple US officials, that Iran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles toward the Diego Garcia base, a joint US-UK military facility located in the Indian Ocean.
According to the report, neither of the missiles struck the base. One missile failed during flight, while a US warship launched an SM-3 interceptor toward the second. It remains unclear whether the interception was successful.
The report described the incident as Iran’s first operational use of intermediate-range ballistic missiles, marking an attempt to extend its reach far beyond the Middle East and directly threaten US interests.
Targeting Diego Garcia, located approximately 4,000 kilometers from Iran, suggests that Tehran’s missile capabilities may exceed previously acknowledged limits. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had previously stated that the country had deliberately limited the range of its missiles to 2,000 kilometers.
The report also cited assessments indicating that Iran possesses missiles capable of reaching up to 4,000 kilometers, while other estimates place the range at around 3,000 kilometers, with ongoing development toward longer ranges.
Diego Garcia is situated on the largest island in the Chagos archipelago, within the British Indian Ocean Territory. It serves as a strategic base used by the United States to host bombers, nuclear submarines, and guided-missile destroyers.
The report further noted that Britain has recently been engaged in discussions to transfer sovereignty of Diego Garcia and the wider Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while negotiating a long-term lease to maintain the joint US-UK military base. President Donald Trump and some Republican lawmakers have opposed the proposal.
The reported missile launch underscores a widening scope of confrontation, with strategic locations far beyond the immediate region now drawn into the evolving tensions.