The UK has accused Tehran of firing ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia island
FILE PHOTO: Naval air facility on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. © Historical / Getty Images
Iran
has denied targeting a joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean,
Al Jazeera reported, citing a senior Iranian official.
Located on
the remote island of Diego Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago, the
military site was reportedly targeted by two ballistic missiles early on
Friday local time.
Neither of the alleged missiles hit the base,
which hosts about 2,500 personnel, most of them American. Washington has
described the installation as “an all but indispensable platform” for operations across the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the incident as “reckless Iranian threats,” while insisting that the UK would not take part in offensive operations and would limit its role to defensive support.
Iran has carried out retaliatory strikes against multiple US bases in
the Middle East and launched drones toward the UK’s Akrotiri air base
in southern Cyprus, reportedly causing minor damage to the facility.
Downing
Street said on Friday that ministers had allowed the US to use UK bases
to launch strikes on Iran. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer,
however, has declined US President Donald Trump’s invitation to send
warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump said Britain “should have acted a lot faster,” while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Starmer of “putting British lives in danger.”