Iran launched an attack with two intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM) against the joint US-British military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, according to an exclusive report by the Wall Street Journal, citing multiple sources within the US government. According to the same sources, one of the two missiles failed during flight, while the second was intercepted by a US destroyer using an SM-3 type missile. However, it has not been officially confirmed whether the intercept was successful. Neither of the two missiles ultimately hit the base.
If the launch is confirmed, it would mark a qualitative upgrade of Iranian missile capabilities, with all that this entails for the strategic balance in the broader Middle East and Indian Ocean region, as the Diego Garcia base is located at a distance of approximately 4,000 kilometers from Iranian territory.
It should be noted that the Diego Garcia base constitutes one of the most important hubs of US and British armed forces in the region, hosting, among other things, long-range bombers and submarines.
Israeli airstrikes on Tehran
At the same time, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced around 4 AM that they launched a wave of airstrikes on Tehran, hours after striking the southern suburbs of Beirut in Lebanon.
“Following the attacks in Beirut, the IDF is striking targets connected to the Iranian terrorist regime in Tehran,” announced the spokesperson of the Israeli armed forces via Telegram.
This was preceded by alerts in central and southern Israel for missile attacks from Iran. Air defense intercepted the Iranian missiles and there were no reports of casualties, according to Israeli media reports.
