Iran fired two ballistic missiles at a joint US-UK military base, Diego Garcia, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday night, citing multiple US officials.
One of the missiles failed in flight, and a US warship fired an interception at the other. At this time, it has not been determined if an interception was made, but neither missile hit the base, officials told WSJ.
Diego Garcia is located about 4,000 kilometers from Iran, double the 2,000-kilometer range that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s ballistic missiles had last month.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir commented on Iran’s long-range ballistic missile attack.
“Just yesterday, Iran launched a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 4,000 kilometers toward an American target on the island of Diego Garcia. These missiles were not intended to hit Israel. Their range reaches the capitals of Europe – Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range,” he said.
Zamir added about the war with Iran that “we are halfway through, but the direction is clear. In about a week, on Passover, the holiday of freedom, we will continue to fight for our freedom and our future.”
Iran 'in advanced stages of development' of long-range missiles
According to a report published by Israel’s Alma Research and Education Center at the start of the war, Iran’s missile inventory primarily consists of short-range ballistic missiles, which reach up to 1,000 kilometers, and medium-range ballistic missiles, which can reach as far as 3,000 kilometers.
However, the Center added that “according to various reports, long-range ballistic missiles are currently in advanced stages of development.”
Diego Garcia is located on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean and functions as a strategic base, from which the US hosts bombers, nuclear submarines, and guided-missile destroyers, WSJ wrote.