Iran fires ballistic missiles at joint US-UK base in Diego Garcia, nearly 2,400 miles away: Report

Iran/Israel/US war in Middle East

Iran recently fired two ballistic missiles toward the joint US-UK military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, citing US 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 WSJ report said.

One of the missiles failed in flight and the other was targeted by an interceptor fired from a US warship, though it was not clear if the missile was hit, The Journal further 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 US bombing campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to AFP.

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.

US President Donald Trump has slammed the decision.