Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago, British Indian Ocean Territory, on July 2, 2013.
USGS NASA | Gallo Images | Getty Images
The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, reported that Iran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia, but they did not hit the U.S. and British military bases in the Indian Ocean.
The newspaper reported Friday that one of the missiles failed to fly and that a U.S. warship fired an SM-3 interceptor at the other, but it could not be determined whether the interception was successful. The Journal did not specify when the missile was launched.
A British Ministry of Defense spokesperson told CNBC that a statement was being prepared.
The White House and the British Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
The reported attack marks Iran’s first operational use of an intermediate-range ballistic missile and represents a serious attempt to reach far beyond the Middle East and threaten U.S. interests, the Wall Street Journal said.
In May 2025, the UK agreed to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, where the Diego Garcia base is located, to Mauritius. Mauritius has long disputed Britain’s acquisition and ownership of the Indian Ocean archipelago.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the British plan.
