Iran's Attack On Diego Garcia Confirmed By UK. Was It Linked To US Use Of Base? Here's What British Authorities Said

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Days after it was reported that Iran had targeted the joint US-UK military base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, a British minister has confirmed the same.

Speaking to BBC, UK Housing Secretary acknowledged on Sunday that an attempted attack by Tehran on Diego Garcia had indeed taken place, but had been unsuccessful.

“Our assessment is that the Iranians certainly targeted Diego Garcia. As we understand it, one missile fell short, failed. The other was intercepted and prevented,” Reed said, confirming the initial report by The Wall Street Journal that had said two missiles were fired towards the base by Tehran.

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Although, initially, it was not known whether the second missile had been successfully intercepted, Reed’s comments seem to confirm that it was. The UK minister, however, declined to say how far short of the base the missiles fell.

Reed further said there was no evidence to suggest that Iran was specifically targeting UK interests:“There is no specific assessment that the Iranians are targeting the UK or even could if they wanted to," the UK minister was quoted as saying.

UK’s Ministry of Defence, meanwhile, said that Tehran’s attempt to attack Diego Garcia took place before PM Keir Starmer approved the use of its bases by US forces for defensive operations and for strikes against actors threatening trade through the Strait of Hormuz, where maritime traffic is currently at an effective standstill.

Following initial reports of the attempted attack on Diego Garcia, the Israeli military on Saturday also said that Tehran had launched two intercontinental ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, adding that such missiles demonstrated Tehran’s capability to target the capitals of Europe.

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“These missiles are not intended to strike Israel. Their range extends to the capitals of Europe - Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range,” Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said.

The WSJ, in its initial report, said that Tehran’s attempt to target Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, more than 4,000 km away, marked the first significant attempt by Iran to target US interests far beyond the Middle East.

The attempted attack also sparked discussions about the range of Iran’s ballistic missiles, with many noting that the targeting of Diego Garcia suggested that Iran’s capabilities were greater than its enemies believed.

With Diego Garcia unscathed, it appears that the US will use the base as a staging ground for operations against actors threatening trade through the Strait of Hormuz.

** Also Read** | Iran warns of ‘complete closure’ of Hormuz if US targets its power plants

With oil prices having steadily climbed since the start of the conflict, US President Donald Trump on Sunday issued an ultimatum, warning Tehran that American forces would “obliterate” Iran’s energy infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz was not opened for trade within 48 hours.

“If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER ⁠PLANTS, ‌STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!,” Trump warned.

Trump’s comments on Sunday was a dramatic reversal from his earlier comment on Friday where he talked about “winding down” the war.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump on Friday said that the US was“getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East.”

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