Iran Might Have Intermediate-Range Missiles
March 21st, 2026Via: Daily Mail:
Iran’s ballistic missile strike on a British military base in the Chagos Islands has escalated fears that major European capitals are now within reach of another attack by the extremist regime – with London moving ‘closer to the edge of vulnerability’.
Two ballistic missiles were fired towards Diego Garcia, a base in the Indian Ocean jointly operated by the US and the UK, on Friday night.
The significant escalation in hostilities came as Keir Starmer gave the green light for Donald Trump to use UK-based bombers threatening the Straits of Hormuz.
Sources reported that one of the missiles failed in flight, while the other was intercepted by a US warship in what is believed to be the first ever strike on the military base.
The precise timing of the incident is as yet unknown, though the Government confirmed on Saturday that it took place before Starmer provided the go-ahead to the US – with Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch now accusing the Prime Minister of a ‘cover up’ on the details and questioning why the public were not told ‘sooner’.
Defence experts have suggested the incident is significant in that it marks the first time intermediate-range missiles have been deployed in the conflict – ones that can cover far greater distances than Iranian weapons were previously known to be capable of.
Diego Garcia lies around 3,800km (2,360 miles) from Iran – undermining the regime’s previous assertion that its ballistic missiles could only reach 2,000 km (1,240 miles).
Experts have warned that if Iran has proven its capabilities are far greater, the missile threat could now extend to most capital cities in Western Europe.
This includes Paris, which is 4,198km (2,609 miles) from Tehran, while London lies on the ‘edge of vulnerability’ at around 4,435km (2,750 miles).
