Iran Claims Enhanced Missile Capability Bringing Most of Western Europe Within Range

Iran’s claim on Saturday to have fired two intermediate range missiles at a British-American base in the Indian Ocean suggests the Islamic Republic may now have the ability to strike targets as far away as London, bringing almost all of Western Europe within its range. The Wall Street Journal earlier cited multiple American officials confirming that missiles had been fired at Diego Garcia but said one had failed in flight and the other may have been shot down, leaving it uncertain whether they could have reached their target more than 2,300 miles from Iran.Still, the claim is an added cause for anxiety in Western European capitals, where authorities are grappling with a new hint from President Trump that he may wind down the American war effort and leave other nations to deal with Iran’s bid to cripple the world economy by halting shipping through the Hormuz Strait.“We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East with respect to the Terrorist Regime of Iran,” Mr. Trump said in a post on Truth Social.“The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it — The United States does not!” he added. “If asked, we will help these Countries in their Hormuz efforts, but it shouldn’t be necessary once Iran’s threat is eradicated.”Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency announced the targeting of Diego Garcia on Saturday, calling it a “significant step … that shows that the range of Iran’s missiles is beyond what the enemy previously imagined,” Reuters reported.The Journal said the launches marked Iran’s first operational use of Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles and represent a significant attempt to threaten U.S. interests beyond the Middle East.Just last month, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with India Today that his nation’s missiles had been developed for defensive purposes only, and that the country had deliberately limited their range to 1,200 miles — roughly half the distance to Diego Garcia.The missile firings came hours before Britain announced it was approving an expansion of American use of the base at Diego Garcia for operations aimed at clearing the Hormuz Strait. Britain has previously prohibited American use of the base for attacks on Iran, citing concerns about international law.Cabinet ministers “confirmed that the agreement for the U.S. to use UK bases in the collective self-defence of the region includes U.S. defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz,” said a statement from the prime minister’s office quoted by Reuters.Earlier this year, Mr. Trump berated Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, for negotiating a deal that returned the island chain, including Diego Garcia to Mauritius while securing a 99-year lease for the use of the base.Despite the State Department’s previous endorsement of the deal, Mr. Trump called it an “act of GREAT STUPIDITY” in a social media post, citing the concession as an example of why America needed to acquire Greenland.

Iran Claims Enhanced Missile Capability Bringing Most of Western Europe Within Range

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