Alleged Iranian Missile Attempt on Diego Garcia Base Reveals Broader US/UK Aims
A British official, speaking anonymously to The New Arab, recently asserted that Iran launched a ballistic missile at the joint US/UK base on Diego Garcia. This alleged incident, which the official described as 'unsuccessful,' reportedly occurred days before the Houthis targeted the MV Tutor in the Red Sea. No independent verification of this missile attack has been provided by either the UK or
US, nor has Iran issued any public statement regarding the claim. Mainstream outlets, including The New Arab, frame this as an isolated Iranian aggression while simultaneously admitting a lack of confirmation. They omit the broader context of Diego Garcia’s role as an indispensable launchpad for US-led aggression in the Middle East and beyond. The New Arab's framing implies an unprovoked Iranian
attack, failing to consider the island's long history as a contentious military outpost and its strategic significance in projections of Western power. This alleged Iranian strike, whether real or a calculated leak, highlights Diego Garcia’s controversial history. The indigenous Chagossian people were forcibly removed by the UK and US between 1968 and 1973 to construct the air and naval base. This
act, deemed a crime against humanity by many, involved relocating thousands to Mauritius and Seychelles, where they live in poverty. A direct connection exists between such alleged incidents and the ongoing illegal occupation of the Chagos Archipelago, which the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in 2019 to return to Mauritius. The constant presence and expansion of this base, used for