Iran launched missiles at a UK-US military base but did not hit targets. Where is Diego Garcia?

Iran launched missiles toward Diego Garcia, a remote military base in the Indian Ocean shared by the U.S. and United Kingdom, escalating regional tensions.

WASHINGTON — Iran launched missiles toward Diego Garcia, a remote island in the Indian Ocean that hosts a strategic joint military base shared by the United States and United Kingdom.

Iran’s attempts to hit the base were unsuccessful as of Saturday morning, but the attack contributed to escalating tensions in the region.

Britain condemned what it described as “Iran’s reckless attacks.” It remains unclear how close the missiles came to the island, which lies about 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from Iran, but no direct strikes were confirmed.

The base has long been considered critical to Western military operations, supporting missions across the Middle East, South Asia and East Africa.

Where is Diego Garcia?

Diego Garcia is part of the Chagos Archipelago, a chain of more than 60 islands located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, south of the Maldives and east of the Seychelles. 

The islands have been under British control since 1814, when France ceded them to the United Kingdom.

The U.S. has described the military installation on Diego Garcia as “an all but indispensable platform” for security operations. About 2,500 personnel — mostly American — are stationed there. The base has supported operations ranging from the Vietnam War to conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2008, the U.S. acknowledged it had been used for clandestine rendition flights of terror suspects.

More recently, nuclear-capable B-2 Spirit bombers were deployed to the island as part of an airstrike campaign targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Britain had initially restricted use of the base for potential U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, but later said American bombers could operate from Diego Garcia and another British base for “specific and limited defensive operations.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on social media that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was “putting British lives in danger by allowing UK bases to be used for aggression against Iran.”

Diego Garcia’s status has also drawn international scrutiny. 

Britain forcibly removed as many as 2,000 residents in the 1960s and 1970s to build the military base. The United Nations and International Court of Justice have urged Britain to end its administration of the islands and transfer sovereignty to Mauritius, a move that has sparked political debate in both London and Washington.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.