Iran allegedly launches missiles at US-UK base on Diego Garcia island

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UK Condemns Alleged Iranian Attack on Diego Garcia Airbase

The United Kingdom has issued a statement condemning what it describes as “reckless Iranian threats” after missiles targeted a joint US-UK military base located on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia. The incident occurred between Thursday night and Friday morning, according to reports from US media outlets.

Iran has denied involvement in the alleged attack, with the country’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating earlier this month that Tehran had intentionally limited its missile range to below 2,000km. The US has not officially commented on the firing of the missiles at Diego Garcia, which is approximately 4,000km from Iran.

The incident comes amid ongoing tensions between the US and Iran, with the US and Israel launching a war on Iran in February as part of their efforts to degrade the country’s nuclear and missile programs. The UN nuclear watchdog and US intelligence chief have stated that Iran is not on the verge of developing nuclear bombs.

Reports suggest that one of the missiles failed mid-flight while the other was intercepted by a US warship. UK officials did not provide any details of the attempted strikes, but the incident has raised concerns about the capabilities of Iranian ballistic missiles.

Experts say that the alleged attack could change the calculus of the war for the US, with some arguing that it highlights Iran’s potential to reach targets far beyond its previously stated range. “These missiles to Diego Garcia mean Iran has 4,000km-plus ballistic missiles,” said Muhanad Seloom, a lecturer at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. “If you reverse the direction of these missiles, then they could reach London, so that changes the calculus not only for the US and its justification for the war but also for a reluctant London and European Union to join the war.”

Source: Al Jazeera