Iran denies allegations of firing missiles at US military base

Iran Denies Targeting US-UK Military Base with Missiles

Iran has denied targeting a joint military base of the United States and the United Kingdom on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia with missiles. According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, the accusations are part of a pattern of “disinformation”.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated that the alliance could not confirm Israel’s claim that the projectiles used were Iranian intercontinental ballistic missiles. In response, Baghaei wrote on X that even the NATO Secretary General declining to endorse Israel’s claim speaks volumes about the exhaustion with these claims.

US President Donald Trump’s war on Iran has been backed by Rutte, who framed it as necessary and urged public support. The US media outlets reported that missiles were launched between Thursday night and Friday morning, but they failed to hit the Diego Garcia base.

If confirmed, an Iranian attack would mean that Iran possesses 4,000km-plus range ballistic missiles capable of reaching the UK capital, London. Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Iran intentionally limited itself to below 2,000km range due to not wanting to be perceived as a threat by others.

The UK has condemned “reckless Iranian threats” but will not be drawn into a wider conflict in the Middle East. The US-UK military airbase is home to nearly 2,500 mostly American personnel and has supported US military operations from Vietnam to Iraq, Afghanistan, and strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Israel’s military chief claimed that Iran used “a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 4,000km” to target the US-UK base. The attack would be significant if confirmed, as it would pose a threat to Israel and potentially other countries in the region.

Source: Al Jazeera