By Shelby Holliday and Andrew Dowell
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 a significant attempt by Iran to reach far beyond the Middle East and threaten U.S. interests.
One of the missiles failed in flight, and a U.S. warship fired an SM-3 interceptor at the other, according to two of the people. It couldn't be determined if an interception was made, according to one of the officials.
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.
Iran Watch, part of the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, says Iran has operational missiles that can reach 4,000 kilometers. Israel's Alma Research and Education Center put the top range for Iranian missiles at around 3,000 kilometers but said there are reports of their weapons being developed with longer ranges.
Located on a remote island in the British Indian Ocean Territory, Diego Garcia is a strategic base from which the U.S. hosts bombers, nuclear submarines and guided-missile destroyers.
Britain was recently in talks to hand sovereignty of Diego Garcia and the wider Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while negotiating a long-term lease to keep the U.S.-U.K. military base on the island. President Trump and some Republican lawmakers have objected to the proposal.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 20, 2026 20:36 ET (00:36 GMT)
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