Why Diego Garcia matters after Iran targets key US-UK military base
The island lies about 4,000 kilometers from Iran, and it remains unclear how close the missiles came.
Iran has fired missiles toward Diego Garcia, a remote island in the Indian Ocean hosting a crucial US-UK military base, prompting strong condemnation from Britain despite the attack being unsuccessful.
The island lies about 4,000 kilometers from Iran, and it remains unclear how close the missiles came. The incident has drawn fresh attention to the strategic importance of the base and the geopolitical tensions surrounding it.
Diego Garcia serves as a vital hub for US military operations across the Middle East, South Asia and East Africa. Hosting around 2,500 mostly American personnel, the base has supported major operations from the Vietnam War to conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has also been linked to covert rendition flights in the past.
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The US deployed nuclear-capable B-2 bombers to the island last year during airstrikes targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels. While Britain had initially restricted the use of the base for US-Israeli strikes on Iran, it later allowed limited use for defensive operations, including targeting missile sites threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has criticized the move, warning it puts British lives at risk. Analysts say Tehran's attempt to strike Diego Garcia may indicate efforts to extend its missile range, possibly using modified space-launch technology, though with reduced accuracy.
Diego Garcia is part of the Chagos Archipelago, a group of more than 60 islands under British control since 1814. In the 1960s and 1970s, Britain expelled around 2,000 to make way for the US base — a move that has drawn longstanding international criticism.
The United Nations and the International Court of Justice have called on Britain to return the islands to Mauritius, arguing that its control amounts to colonial rule.
Last year, the UK agreed to transfer sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while leasing back Diego Garcia for at least 99 years to maintain the military base. However, the deal has faced criticism from opposition politicians and displaced islanders, as well as from US President Donald Trump, who called it a "very stupid" move.
The agreement has since been put on hold as Britain seeks to regain US support, highlighting the island's continued strategic and political significance.
