Iran fires missiles toward US-UK military base
In a controversial move, President Trump has announced plans to deploy ICE agents at U.S. airports, igniting a heated discussion surrounding Department of Homeland Security funding and airport security measures. This development coincides with Iran’s recent missile attack on a joint U.S.-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, showcasing its formidable military capabilities. Analysts are examining the implications for the Natanz nuclear facility, potential missile production, and the strategic necessity of NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz.
Reflecting on these tensions, an official from the self-proclaimed Chagossian government-in-exile emphasized Diego Garcia’s critical role in U.S. military strategy and the region’s stability. Following an Iranian strike on a significant U.S. installation in Bahrain, the Pentagon has been rerouting logistical operations to this isolated U.K.-U.S. base in the Indian Ocean.
Located in the southern Chagos Archipelago, the base has played a crucial role in supporting carrier strike groups such as the USS Abraham Lincoln. These forces have been pivotal in conducting air missions and enforcing blockades on Iranian ports.
Currently, the U.S. military’s logistics network extends over a 2,200-mile maritime supply line to Diego Garcia, minimizing exposure to coastal facilities that could be targets for Iranian attacks. However, this new route requires extended supply runs and slower replenishment times, as reported by The New York Times.
“While it’s an inconvenience, it underscores the base’s significance,” remarked James Tumbridge, an international lawyer who acts as the attorney general for the Chagossian government-in-exile, during an interview with News Media.
Diego Garcia is a strategic Indian Ocean base hosting 2,500 US military personnel. (Reuters)
“The base is integral to regional security for the U.K., U.S. and our allies. This latest news emphasizes it.”
“Bahrain is a far easier target, so the U.S. change of supply arrangement makes sense,” Tumbridge said, adding, “Hopefully the new British PM will not deny the U.S. this change of use.”
“It shows the importance of the base and asking a third country for permission is not what the U.S. will want, and so I hope this means Trump will still oppose the handover,” Tumbridge went on to say, referring to a proposed agreement that would transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
In 2025, the U.K. and Mauritius signed a treaty that would recognize Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago while allowing the U.K. to retain control of Diego Garcia for an initial 99-year period.
The British government later put implementation of the agreement on hold amid renewed U.S. concerns over the sovereignty transfer.
Keir Starmer, leader of Britain’s Labour Party, speaks during the Prime Minister’s Questions, at the House of Commons in London, Britain November 15, 2023. (UK Parliament/Maria Unger/Handout)
Reports emerged in June that U.S. officials had drafted a proposal to bypass Britain and strike a deal to take control of Diego Garcia, one of several alternatives to then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plan to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius.
The first minister of the self-described Chagossian government-in-exile responded that month and said the Chagos Islands were not for sale or “for stealing either,” but argued that he “can’t blame” Trump for “looking to secure the military base.”
“Trump cannot buy the islands. That suggestion made by some is unhelpful to us all. Only the U.K. can sell the islands, as only the U.K. owns them,” Tumbridge also said on Sunday.
“The arguments over sovereignty do not get fixed via a sale, and Mauritius cannot sell them unless the U.K. first gives them away,” he added.
“It is not in the U.K.’s interest to sell them. Whether we keep them and continue our support for the U.S. base or we cede them to Mauritius is the choice — my desire is the former.”
Mauritius has long claimed sovereignty over the archipelago, a position backed by a 2019 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice and subsequent U.N. action.
The U.K. government, however, permitted the U.S. to use Diego Garcia for limited defensive operations targeting Iranian missile capabilities in March after initially withholding approval for offensive strikes.
A U.S. B-2 Spirit bomber, part of the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, stops for refueling at the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia in October 2001, following an airstrike mission over Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Department of Defense/Senior Airman Rebeca M. Luquin)
“The U.S. wanted to use Chagos Diego Garcia for air strikes at the very beginning. The U.K. consulted Mauritius and refused — hence Trump finally appreciating why sovereignty transfer was a problem,” Tumbridge said.
“After the attacks on Cyprus, the U.K. allowed certain so-called defense uses, and Iran did fire at Diego Garcia, but they missed.”
On March 20, Reuters reported that Iran had fired two ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia.
One missile failed in flight, while a U.S. warship fired an interceptor at the other, though it was initially unclear whether the interception succeeded. British officials later said one missile fell short and the other was intercepted.
“No serious concerns have been shared — the earlier attempt showed a lack of range and targeting ability,” Tumbridge said.
“The British Government and the Commissioner for the Territory have already tried to say the last attack makes the islands unsafe. No one seriously believes that Iran would try to target the outer islands that presently only have a population of six people.”
Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago and site of a major United States military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean, leased from the UK in 1966. (Reuters)
The reported U.S. logistical strains and renewed focus on Diego Garcia came as the USS Abraham Lincoln approached nine months of continuous deployment in the region.
Speaking at Joint Base Andrews on Aug. 14, Trump said a new aircraft carrier was heading to the Middle East to replace it.
“That ship is moving,” Trump said when reporters asked about the carrier.
Meanwhile, Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, also met with service members aboard the carrier, which is expected to be relieved amid concerns raised by families over the extended deployment.
News Media has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.