Iran targeted but did not hit Diego Garcia base with missiles: WSJ
Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory and the largest of the islands in the Chagos Archipelago, in Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, on 02 July 2013.
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According to the Wall Street Journal, citing several US officials, Iran fired two medium-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, but did not hit the US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean.
One of the missiles failed in flight, the newspaper said on Friday, and a US warship fired an SM-3 interceptor at another, but it could not be determined whether the interception was successful. The Journal did not say when the missiles were fired.
A spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defense told CNBC that it was preparing a statement.
The White House and the British embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
The reported attack was Iran’s first operational use of medium-range ballistic missiles and was a significant attempt to reach far beyond the Middle East and threaten US interests, the Wall Street Journal said.
United Kingdom Adopted May 2025 Transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, where the Diego Garcia base is located, to MauritiusThe UK’s acquisition and ownership of the archipelago in the Indian Ocean has long been a controversial issue.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the UK’s plan.
