LONDON (AP) — Iran has launched missiles at Diego Garcia, an Indian Ocean island that hosts a key U.K.-U.S. military base, escalating regional tensions.
Britain condemned the missile attacks as “reckless,” though it remains unclear how close the missiles came to the island, located approximately 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from Iran.
Significance of Diego Garcia
The U.S. considers the Diego Garcia base a crucial asset for security operations in the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa.
With around 2,500 personnel, primarily American, the base has supported military operations from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. Notably, in 2008, the U.S. acknowledged its use for clandestine rendition flights involving terror suspects.
In response to escalating conflicts, the U.S. deployed nuclear-capable B-2 Spirit bombers to Diego Garcia last year as part of an airstrike campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Initially, the U.K. government restricted the base's use for U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran. However, following Iranian attacks on neighboring countries, the U.K. permitted American bombers to use Diego Garcia for strikes against Iranian missile sites, including those targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the U.K. government, the bases are designated for “specific and limited defensive operations.”
In a statement on social media, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, claiming that British lives are endangered by the U.K.'s decision to allow bases to be used for aggression against Iran.
Despite Iran's previous self-imposed limit on its ballistic missile range to 1,240 miles (2,000 kilometers), which excludes Diego Garcia, U.S. officials have expressed concerns that Iran's space program could enable the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, suggested that the missile attack may have utilized Iran's Simorgh space launch rocket, which could provide extended range at the expense of accuracy.
Controversies Surrounding Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia is part of the Chagos Archipelago, a collection of over 60 islands in the Indian Ocean, under British control since 1814 after being ceded by France.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the U.K. forcibly evicted around 2,000 inhabitants from Diego Garcia to facilitate the construction of the military base.
In recent years, there has been increasing criticism regarding Britain's governance of the archipelago and the displacement of its local population. Both the United Nations and the International Court of Justice have called for an end to the U.K.'s colonial administration and urged the transfer of sovereignty to Mauritius.
Sovereignty Negotiations
After prolonged negotiations, the U.K. government reached an agreement last year with Mauritius to transfer sovereignty over the islands, with Britain leasing Diego Garcia for a minimum of 99 years.
The U.K. maintains that this arrangement will protect the future of the base, which faces potential legal challenges. However, many British opposition politicians have criticized the agreement, arguing that it risks allowing interference from China and Russia.
Some displaced Chagos islanders and their descendants have also opposed the deal, claiming they were not consulted and remain uncertain about their right to return.
Initially, the U.S. administration supported the agreement, but President Donald Trump later denounced it in January, labeling it “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY” on his social media platform.
Starmer’s initial reluctance to permit U.S. strikes on Iran from Diego Garcia further frustrated Trump, who remarked that the U.K. has been “very uncooperative” regarding the base.
The U.K.-Mauritius agreement's passage through Parliament is currently stalled until U.S. support can be secured.
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