Iran was unsuccessful in its attack on the joint Anglo-American-operated military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, according to multiple media and government accounts. Two Iranian intermediate-range ballistic missiles were launched at the Diego Garcia military base on March 20, but failed to cause damage. One missile failed mid-flight, while the other was intercepted by a U.S. Navy warship with an SM-3 interceptor, preventing any damage to the base.
American and British officials confirmed the missile attack on the base, one day after The Wall Street Journal reported it. The attack occurred amid escalating tensions following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and Whitehall's authorization on Friday of broader American use of British bases for operations against Iran.
While the missiles did not hit their target, the attempt signals a significant shift in Iran’s military posture and capabilities. Diego Garcia, which is located about 2,500 miles from Iran, is a strategically vital hub for U.S. military operations and is capable of hosting long-range bombers like the B-2 and supporting naval and nuclear assets. The base is home to about 2,500 mostly American personnel and has supported several major U.S. military operations from Vietnam to the present.
The attempted strike marks Iran’s first known attempt to use long-range missiles beyond the Middle East, challenging its previous claims of limiting missile ranges to 1,240 miles. Iran targeted the island with two-stage intercontinental ballistic missiles, using modified existing missile systems or using a space launch vehicle to achieve the extended range, indicating advanced preparations, according to military experts.
The latest news has heightened concerns among Western NATO allies, as it has now been proven that European capitals like London, Paris, and Berlin could now be within reach.
“These missiles are not intended to strike Israel. Their range extends to the capitals of Europe — Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range,” said Israel's Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency also confirmed the attempted strike, saying that targeting the base was a “significant step… that shows that the range of Iran’s missiles is beyond what the enemy previously imagined.”
London has not participated in American-Israeli attacks on Iran, but has allowed U.S. bombers to use the bases at RAF Fairford in England and Diego Garcia to attack Iran’s missile sites for “defensive” operations and to prevent further attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Iran’s reckless attacks, lashing out across the region and holding hostage the Strait of Hormuz, are a threat to British interests and British allies,” the U.K.'s Ministry of Defence said in a statement. ”[Royal Air Force] jets and other U.K. military assets are continuing to defend our people and personnel in the region.”
Diego Garcia is part of the Chagos Islands, a remote archipelago in the middle of the Indian Ocean off the coast of India, which has been under British control since 1814. The islands are currently the main subject of a spat with President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer over Britain’s plans to hand sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago to Beijing-friendly Mauritius, which many fear will give China a potential foothold in the Indian Ocean.
Starmer said Britain would then lease back the Diego Garcia base to safeguard the base’s future, but Trump has called the controversial turnover “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY.”
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