A pair of Iranian intermediate-range ballistic missiles targeted a joint U.S.-U.K. military base on the remote island of Diego Garcia late Friday, marking a significant escalation in the reported reach of Tehran’s arsenal.
The strike, first reported by the Wall Street Journal via anonymous U.S. officials, suggests Iranian weaponry can travel roughly 2,500 miles—double the distance previously claimed by Iranian leadership.
The two missiles failed to hit their mark. According to official accounts, one missile suffered a mechanical failure mid-flight and crashed. The second was engaged by a U.S. warship, though officials have not yet confirmed if the intercept was successful.
The target, Diego Garcia, is a strategic outpost in the Chagos Archipelago located over 1,000 miles off the Indian coast. Since the Cold War, the island has served as a critical hub for U.S. and British air and naval operations.
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The incident directly contradicts public statements made in February by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who claimed Iran had intentionally limited its missile range to roughly 1,250 miles.
While the Israel-based Alma Research and Education Center previously estimated Iran’s maximum range at about 1,900 miles, the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control’s “Iran Watch” has long maintained that Tehran possessed the capability to strike as far as the Indian Ocean.
This attempted strike follows the March 21 launch of Operation Epic Fury, a joint U.S.-Israeli campaign that included high-profile strikes within Iran.
The island’s military facility, which currently houses roughly 280 U.S. Navy personnel, 40 U.S. Air Force members, and 40 British troops, remains a primary logistics center for forward-deployed forces. Representatives for the Navy Support Facility at Diego Garcia have not yet issued an official statement regarding the attack.
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