Britain on March 21 condemned what it called “Iran’s reckless attacks” after Iran’s military fired missiles at the UK–US air base on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. UK officials said the attempted strike was unsuccessful but gave no details, and it remains unclear how close the missiles came to the base, which is roughly 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometres) from Iran.
The Ministry of Defence said Saturday that Iran’s “lashing out across the region and holding hostage the Strait of Hormuz, are a threat to British interests and British allies.” The statement framed the strikes as part of a broader regional campaign that London views as dangerous to navigation and allied forces.
Britain has not taken part in US–Israeli strikes on Iran, the report said, but has allowed American bombers to use UK bases for attacks on Iran’s missile sites. Officials did not link those arrangements directly to the attempted strike on Diego Garcia.
Iran maintains a self-imposed limit on its ballistic missile program that restricts range to about 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles), which would put much of the Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe within reach but not Diego Garcia. U.S. officials have long warned, however, that Iran’s space program could provide technology useful for building intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The Diego Garcia air base hosts about 2,500 personnel, mostly American, and has supported U.S. military operations from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as strikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Diego Garcia is part of the Chagos Islands, a remote archipelago in the central Indian Ocean off the tip of India that has been under British control since 1814.
This report is based on material from The Associated Press.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/03/22/britain-condemns-attacks-after-iran-fires-missiles-at-uk-us-base-in-indian-ocean/
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Publish Date: 2026-03-22 06:29:00
