This handout satellite photo obtained from Planet Labs PBC shows an overview of the Diego Garcia military base on the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Photo: AFP/Planet Labs PBC
Iran recently fired two ballistic missiles toward the joint U.S.-U.K. military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday (March 20, 2026), citing U.S. officials.
Neither missile hit the target, which is around 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from Iranian territory, but the launch suggests that Tehran has missiles with longer ranges than previously thought, the report said.
Iran-Israel war LIVE updates
The Pentagon declined to comment.
One of the missiles failed in flight, and the other was targeted by an interceptor fired from a U.S. warship, though it was not clear if the missile was hit, The Journal reported.
Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands is one of two bases Britain is allowing the United States to use for “defensive” operations in Iran.
American forces have stationed bombers and other equipment at the base, a key hub for Asia operations, including the U.S. bombing campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Britain has agreed to hand back the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after holding it since the 1960s, and maintains a lease for the base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands.
U.S. President Donald Trump has slammed the decision.
Published – March 21, 2026 09:31 am IST
