Diego Garcia military base targeted: Iran fires missiles at US, UK-operated base in Indian Ocean — all you need to know

Iran recently fired two ballistic missiles at the Diego Garcia military base — which has been jointly used by the UK and US militaries since the 1970s — in the Indian Ocean, more than 4,000 km from its territory, marking a significant attempt by Tehran to target US interests beyond the Middle East.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, both missiles failed to hit their targets, with one failing in flight. The other, meanwhile, was targeted by an SM-3 interceptor, though it is unclear whether the missile was successfully intercepted. The report did not specify when Iran fired the missiles.

Iran's capabilities greater than expected

Iranian ballistic missiles typically have ranges up to 3,000 km, and the targeting of Diego Garcia suggests that Tehran's capabilities are greater than previously believed — Steve Lookner, of Agenda Free TV, noted, “Iran’s targeting of Diego Garcia, about 4,000 kilometers from Iran, implies its missiles have a greater range than Tehran has previously acknowledged.”

Iran's Mehr news agency later said that targeting the base was a "significant step ... that shows that the range of Iran's missiles is beyond what the enemy previously imagined".

Iran's mid-range ballistic missiles have a range of 1,000 to 3,000 km, according to a 2025 report by Alma Research and Education Centre.

Tehran's Khorramshahr missile has the longest range, between 2,000 and 3,000 km, followed by Emad, which has a range of 1800 km. The Ghadr, meanwhile, has a 1,600–2,000 km range.

Iran's other missiles, the Shahab‑3 and the Rezvan have a 1300 km range and a 1400 km range respectively, as per the Alma report.

UK allows US to use airbases for Hormuz ops

The report came hours after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed to allow the US to use British bases to launch strikes on Iranian sites targeting ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier, PM Starmer had only allowed US forces to use the UK's bases for defensive operations to prevent Iran from firing missiles that put British lives or interests at risk, reported the BBC.

The UK bases used by the US include the RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, and as per AFP, American forces have stationed bombers and other equipment at the latter, which serves a key hub for Asia operations, including for US campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Commenting on the move, Trump told reporters that it was a "very late response" from the UK.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, meanwhile, said that the UK's decision made it a party to aggression against Tehran: "These actions will definitely be considered as participation in aggression and will be recorded in the history of relations between the two countries,” he said.

On Friday, the US President posted on Truth Social on the need for the Strait of Hormuz to be protected.

"The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it — The United States does not! If asked, we will help these Countries in their Hormuz efforts, but it shouldn’t be necessary once Iran’s threat is eradicated. Importantly, it will be an easy Military Operation for them," Trump said on Truth Social.

He had earlier called on several countries, including the UK and China, to provide assistance in keeping the crucial waterway secure for maritime traffic, and had also called NATO "cowards" and warned of "bad consequences" for not sending warships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.