Iran fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile at Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-British military base, on Friday morning local time, U.S. officials said.
The official said Iran fired two missiles at the facility in the Indian Ocean, about 2,370 miles (3,810 kilometers) from the coast, but neither hit the base.
An important airfield for the U.S. heavy bomber fleet, Diego Garcia has long served as an important base for U.S. military operations overseas, far from home.
CNN has reached out to the White House, the Pentagon, the British Ministry of Defence, and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, whose mission area includes Diego Garcia, for comment.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Saturday that Iran “fired two ballistic missiles at the oppressor’s military base in Diego Garcia.” It said the move was “an important step by the Islamic Republic of Iran that threatens the interests of the United States and its allies beyond its borders in West Asia.”
The news agency did not say whether the targeting was successful.
Background: Diego Garcia is part of the Chagos Archipelago, an archipelago more than 1,009 kilometers (1,609 kilometers) northeast of Mauritius. After Napoleon’s defeat, Britain occupied the island along with Mauritius in 1814.
Mauritius gained independence in 1968, but the Chagos Islands remain under British rule.
Hoping to deter Soviet military influence in the region, the United States and Britain built a major base in Diego Garcia in 1971.
The island helped launch two invasions of Iraq, served as an important landing site for bombers flying missions across Asia, and has been linked to U.S. repatriation efforts.
Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump accused Britain of being “stupid” over its plan to transfer ownership of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Under the terms of the treaty, the UK will transfer sovereignty over the entire Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The UK will pay Mauritius $136 million annually for a 99-year lease on the Diego Garcia military base, meaning the UK and US can continue to use the facility.
This post has been updated with additional information.
