Tehran: In a clear indication that the Middle East conflict is expanding, Iran reportedly launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK military base in the central Indian Ocean.
This attack came after Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field. Tehran has intensified its retaliatory actions since, targeting energy infrastructure in Qatar.
US officials have claimed that neither missile struck the base, which lies about 4,000 km from Iran. While one of them is believed to have failed mid-flight, the other was intercepted by an SM-3 interceptor launched from a US warship, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
At least one official said that it remains unclear whether the interception was successful.
Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands is one of two bases Britain has allowed the United States to use for “defensive” operations related to Iran, the other being RAF Fairford.
The strike on the base, nearly 4,000 km away, suggests Tehran’s missile capabilities may extend well beyond its publicly stated limits, the WSJ report said.
It also marks Iran’s first known operational use of intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) and signals an intent to target far-flung US-linked military assets.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi had said last month that the country had capped its missile range at 2,000 kilometres, the report says.
Diego Garcia is one of the most strategically important, and secretive, military installations operated jointly by the US and the UK.
According to an Al Jazeera report, it currently hosts bombers and other critical assets.
Diego Garcia remains strictly out of bounds for most civilians. The base there is a highly restricted zone, long shrouded in secrecy and speculation. There are no commercial flights to the island, and maritime access is tightly controlled. Permits are generally granted only for the outer islands of the archipelago or for safe passage through surrounding waters, Hindustan Times reported.
The island also lies about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from the nearest landmass, placing it among the most remote islands in the world, adding to its isolation.
Following Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution, Diego Garcia underwent a major expansion, becoming one of the most significantly developed US military sites since the Vietnam War, the Al Jazeera report added.
Its strategic importance surged again after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. Within weeks, the base expanded further, with an additional 2,000 Air Force personnel deployed there.
Iran’s targeting of the base, signals not just escalation, but a shift in the geographical scope of confrontation – extending far beyond the Middle East into the wider Indian Ocean region.
