Iran missile attack on UK-US Diego Garcia military base raises fears London could be within striking distance
Iran launched two ballistic missiles at Britain’s Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean in a dramatic escalation of tensions, US officials have said. The missiles, fired towards the joint UK-US military facility in the Chagos Islands, both failed to hit their target. One is believed to have been intercepted by a US warship, while the other did not complete its flight. The strike marks the first time Tehran has deployed intermediate-range ballistic missiles in the conflict, weapons capable of travelling far greater distances, and signals a significant step up in the confrontation. Military analysts say the attempted strike on Diego Garcia, roughly 3,800km from Iran, could point to a longer-range capability than previously assessed. If confirmed, the strike would signal a capability that extends well beyond the Gulf, with Paris in range and London no longer comfortably out of reach. The attempted attack came as Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, issued a warning to the UK, accusing Sir Keir Starmer of “putting British lives at risk” by allowing US forces to operate from British …
