Iran targeted Diego Garcia base with ballistic missiles

Iran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-U.K. military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean, according to multiple U.S. officials. Neither of the missiles hit the base, but the move marked Iran’s first operational use of IRBMs and a significant attempt to reach far beyond the Middle East and threaten U.S. interests.

Iran’s targeting of Diego Garcia, about 4,000 kilometers from Iran, implies its missiles have a greater range than Tehran has previously acknowledged. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said last month that Iran has deliberately limited the range of its missiles to 2,000 kilometers.

The range of the strike indicates that Iranian missiles are capable of hitting targets at a distance significantly exceeding the 2,000 km officially declared by Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in February that the country had deliberately limited the range of its missiles to this limit.

Iran itself confirmed the launch of two ballistic missiles at the base, noting that it demonstrates capabilities that exceed the expectations of the "enemy." Tehran said the strike was aimed at strengthening deterrence against the United States and its allies.

Diego Garcia is a coral atoll in the central Indian Ocean, part of the Chagos Archipelago, which is an overseas territory of Great Britain. There is a large joint military base of the United States and Great Britain on the island, where bombers, nuclear submarines and guided missile destroyers are stationed.

Earlier in the day, the BBC television and radio company, citing a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS, recognized as an undesirable organization in the Russian Federation), reported that during the 14 days of the war, the Iranian Armed Forces in the Middle East caused at least $800 million in damage to US military bases. The damage affected key air defense and radar systems at several bases, which may limit US combat capabilities in the region.

Pic.: Texas Public Radio

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