This image released by the US Navy shows an aerial view of Diego Garcia, an atoll in the Chagos Archipelago.Image: keystone
Iran has attacked the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean used by the USA and Great Britain. The attack raises questions for military experts – hardly anyone had expected such a reach.
March 21, 2026, 5:33 p.mMarch 21, 2026, 5:38 p.m
Simon Cleven / t-online
Iran fired two ballistic missiles at a military base shared by Britain and the United States on the island of Diego Garcia, according to state television.
Neither of the two projectiles hit the military base in the Indian Ocean, reported the Wall Street Journal and CNN, citing senior US officials. According to the newspaper, one failed during flight and the other was attacked by an interceptor missile fired from a US warship. According to the report, it was unclear whether the Iranian missile was hit.
The rocket attacks surprised experts: Until now, it was assumed that the regime did not have any missiles with such a range in its arsenal. Diego Garcia is around 4,000 kilometers from Iran. t-online gives an overview of what is known about the attack so far.
Where is the Diego Garcia base?
Diego Garcia is the largest atoll in the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The area is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory and is used militarily by Great Britain and the USA. It is located far away from large land masses, several hundred kilometers south of the Maldives and far west of Australia.
What is the significance of the base?
The base has an approximately 3.6 km long runway. It is designed for heavy strategic bombers. The port can accommodate large groups of aircraft carriers and supply ships. Heavy military equipment can be quickly shipped to the Persian Gulf in the event of a crisis.
The island has a ground station for the global navigation satellite system GPS as well as space surveillance and communications facilities. Because the base is located in a remote location but still allows for long ranges, it is considered a key strategic point in the US-British military presence in the Indian Ocean.
What is the significance of the missile attack?
Diego Garcia was previously considered an untouchable hinterland. The base is located about 4,000 kilometers southeast of the Iranian coast. This distance is of great military strategic importance. Until now, it was outside the officially confirmed range of the Iranian missile arsenal of 2,000 kilometers.
There have long been fears that Iran has the technological means to double the radius beyond the current 2,000 kilometers. Iranian missiles could then theoretically reach not only Germany, but also southern, western and northern Europe.
What does Iran say?
Iranian state media portrayed the attack as a demonstration of military strength. The Fars news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, claimed that Iran could also reach Europe. Iran’s missile capabilities continue to exist, refuting US President Donald Trump’s claim that they have been 100 percent destroyed.
The Revolutionary Guards declared on state radio that they would only speak the language of military strength to their opponents. This strength was also demonstrated in the Strait of Hormuz. The Guards claimed that Israel, the United States and the West had lost their prestige and no longer played a role in the region. “We have control of the sky above your heads,” it continued.
Observers see this as demonstrative self-confidence and an attempt to underline the Revolutionary Guard’s domestic political power. Israel and the USA have air sovereignty over Iran after three weeks of war.
How are the USA and Great Britain reacting?
A British government representative confirmed to the AFP news agency on Saturday a report from the US newspaper “Wall Street Journal” from the previous day that Iran had attacked the base in the Indian Ocean. The British government representative spoke of an “unsuccessful attack”. No further information about the attack was initially provided.
On Saturday, a spokesman for the British Ministry of Defense said that “Iran’s reckless attacks across the region and taking the Strait of Hormuz hostage” posed a threat to British interests and British allies. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government had given the US “permission to use British bases for specific and limited defense operations”.
The White House has not yet officially commented on the attack on Diego Garcia.
What do experts say?
The Middle East expert Nawaf al-Thani wrote on the online platform X: “The real question is not whether the missile was intercepted. The point is that Iran may have demonstrated a reach far beyond what much of the world thought it could achieve. A range of 4,000 kilometers fundamentally changes the situation.”
Danny Citrinowicz, a leading Iran expert, explained on “Despite his deep ideological hostility towards the West, Khamenei exercised great restraint in deploying the Iranian armed forces. This restraint is no longer guaranteed.”
Farzin Nadimi, Iran expert at the US think tank Washington Institute, told the Wall Street Journal that Iran had probably planned the attack on Diego Garcia over a long period of time. Tehran sees the military base as the likely main base for US strategic bombers in the event of a major war between the two countries, said Nadimi. This also puts Europe within Iran’s reach. However, the threat to the continent is more of a side effect; Diego Garcia is of greater importance for the regime.
Israeli Iran expert Raz Zimmt wrote on According to his analysis, Tehran wants to use deterrence to persuade its neighbors to end the US military presence in the region.
Military expert William Alberque told the Bloomberg news portal that “no one” even “thought” that Iran had missiles of such range. “That means they probably used a modified rocket – maybe a prototype,” said Alberque. This suggests that Tehran still has warehouses or workshops where such conversions can be carried out. The Iranian military may have removed weight from an existing missile or even removed the warhead to increase its range. The expert explained that it may be a one-off event.
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