Iran fires ballistic missiles toward US base Diego Garcia, 2,500 miles away in the Indian Ocean

Iran launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia, a remote US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, in an apparent attempt to project power far beyond the Middle East, according to US officials cited by The Wall Street Journal.

According to the report, one of the missiles failed in flight, ⁠while a ‌U.S. warship fired an SM-3 interceptor ⁠at the other, although it could not be determined if the interception succeeded. The newspaper did not specify when ‌the missiles were fired.

The attempted strike highlights what appears to be a greater reach for Iran’s missile program than Tehran has publicly acknowledged. The base lies roughly 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) from Iran.


Last month, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed in an India Today interview that Iran has limited the range of its missiles to 2,000 kilometers, as it does not want to be a global threat.

Diego Garcia, located in the British Indian Ocean Territory, is a key strategic hub for US forces, hosting long-range bombers, nuclear submarines, and guided-missile destroyers.