Why is the US-UK Diego Garcia army base within the Chagos Islands a goal for Iran? | EUROtoday

Iran has fired missiles at a joint US-UK base within the Indian Ocean because it warned British lives had been “in danger” after prime minister Sir Keir Starmer backed the US to hold out additional strikes.

Tehran directed two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia within the Chagos Islands however neither hit. One of the missiles wasreportedly shot down by a US warship, whereas the opposite failed in flight.

It is undertood that the assault befell earlier than Downing Street mentioned on Friday that UK bases will now be used for US “defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships”.

On Saturday, the minitry of Defence condemned the assault as “reckless”.

Diego Garcia is round 2,360 miles away from Iran and residential to an airbase able to accommodating long-range US bombers, with round 2,500 American troops based mostly on the island.

The UK has agreed to cede sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius and lease again the bottom, in a transfer that has strained relations with Washington in current months.

Diego Garcia is strategically helpful to the US, and has been used as a launchpad for operations within the Middle East for years, with Donald Trump describing the deal as a “big mistake”.

Why is there a UK-US base on Diego Garcia?

At the conclusion of the Second World War, issues started to develop inside the US administration that their entry to abroad bases was diminishing, as extra international locations grew to become unbiased from colonisation.

With naval planners involved over the prospects of Russia and China getting a stronger foothold within the Indian Ocean, it was instructed that the Diego Garcia base would permit the US to venture energy within the area.

Given that the UK had established a base there throughout the conflict and it remained below their administrative standing, it was determined in 1961 that the British authorities would detach the Chagos Archipelago from colonial Mauritius for future army use.

After secret negotations, the US agreed to make funds to the British of as much as $14m for its use.

A report from Chatham House famous: “Since then, the military base in Diego Garcia has served as an anchor for American operations.

“The island hosts an extensive airfield with runways long enough to accommodate large military aircraft like B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers, reconnaissance aircraft and transport planes. It also has major fuel storage facilities, radar installations, and control towers that can support regional military operations.”

During the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War, it was a crucial launchpad for US air operations.

How will UK plans at hand over Chagos Islands to Mauritius influence the bottom?

The authorities has argued the deal is important to ensure the way forward for the Diego Garcia base after an advisory International Court of Justice ruling in 2019 backed Mauritian claims to sovereignty over the islands.

Under the plan, the UK can pay £34.7 billion in nominal phrases over 99 years to safe use of the bottom.

However, laws enabling the handover has not progressed by way of Parliament since January 20, although it’s in its closing levels.

The settlement has confronted important criticism in each Westminster and the White House, with events akin to Reform UK and the Conservatives closely criticising the choice.

What has Trump mentioned about it?

The £35 billion deal that features a plan to lease again strategically necessary UK-US army base on Diego Garcia – the most important island inside the distant Indian Ocean archipelago – has led to barbed exchanges at Westminster and abrupt adjustments of coronary heart by the American chief.

While the US administration initially hailed the deal as a “monumental achievement”, Mr Trump subsequently lambasted it as an “act of great stupidity” and “total weakness”, amid transatlantic tensions over his ambitions to annex Greenland.

In an additional reversal, the US president then signalled his assist for the settlement, saying it was “the best” Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer may make.

But he once more not too long ago withdrew his assist for the accord branding it “a big mistake”, reportedly as a result of Britain had refused the usage of its army bases for a US strike on Iran.

The UK has said it won’t proceed with the deal until it has the assist of the US.

Speaking outdoors the White House on Friday, Mr Trump mentioned: “It’s been a very late response from the UK.

“I’m surprised because the relationship is so good, but this has never happened before.

“They were really, pretty much our first ally, all over the world.”

Referring to Diego Garcia, he mentioned: “They didn’t want us to use the island, the so called island, which for some reason they gave up rights to it.

“I was a little surprised in the UK, to be honest. They should have acted a lot faster.”

Why has Iran focused the army base?

Although the assault got here earlier than the UK allowed its bases for use by the US, it may very well be seen as a risk in opposition to the UK over such collaboration – whereas the vary an indication of the potential of Iranian missiles.

Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi mentioned Iran will “exercise its right to self-defence”.

Posting on X, he mentioned: “Vast majority of the British People do not want any part in the Israel-US war of choice on Iran. Ignoring his own People, Mr Starmer is putting British lives in danger by allowing UK bases to be used for aggression against Iran.

“Iran will exercise its right to self-defence.”

Could Iranian missiles really hit the UK base?

As the UK is drawn additional into the battle, some in Britain are naturally involved in regards to the potential for the fallout to succeed in the mainland.

This could be very unlikely, specialists say, as Iran’s offensive capabilities should not assessed as long-reaching sufficient to make the three,000 mile journey.

Vuk Vuksanović, affiliate at overseas coverage assume tank LSE IDEAS, mentioned: “There is no evidence that Iran has the capacity to attack the US or UK mainland.

“Iran, with its missile and drone capability, does have the capacity to strike US and UK military outposts in the wider Middle East, including the Gulf and the Levant.”

This contains the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus which has already been focused by drones and the Diego Garcia base.

However, analysists had estimated that Iran’s longest-reaching weapon is the Khorramshahr 4 missile, which may probably hit targets from 1,200 to 1,900 miles away.

Given that ballistic missiles have succeeded in being launched to the Chagos Islands, it’s now feared that Iran is extra succesful than beforehand thought.