Iran Targets Diego Garcia Base, War With US Expands Into Indian Ocean: Report
The ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States has taken a dramatic turn, expanding into the Indian Ocean after Tehran reportedly launched missiles toward a key Western military base.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Iran fired two ballistic missiles targeting the joint US-UK military facility on Diego Garcia, located in the Chagos Islands. The base is a strategic hub used by both American and British forces for operations across Asia and the Middle East.
US officials stated that neither missile hit the intended target. One reportedly failed mid-air, while the other was intercepted by a missile defence system launched from a US naval vessel. However, it remains unclear whether the interception successfully destroyed the missile.
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If confirmed, the strike marks a significant escalation in the conflict, as Diego Garcia lies nearly 4,000 kilometres from Iran.
This suggests a possible expansion of Iran’s strike capability, raising concerns among Western military planners.
Reacting to the reports, Indian politician Manish Tewari said that such an attempt signals a widening of the war and sends a strong message to Western powers.
This development comes weeks after a major naval incident in the Indian Ocean, where a US submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena near Sri Lanka, reportedly killing more than 80 personnel. The warship had been returning from an international naval exercise hosted by India.
The Diego Garcia base has long been a crucial launch point for US military operations, including campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is also one of the few British-linked facilities currently supporting what the UK describes as defensive operations in the region.
So far, the Pentagon has not officially commented on the missile strike reports. However, it has previously stated that weakening Iran’s naval power remains a key objective in the ongoing war, which began on February 28.
