Iran recently launched two ballistic missiles in the direction of the union US-UK military base in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, The Wall Street Journal announced on Friday, citing US officials.
Neither missile hit the target, which is about 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from Iranian territory, but the launch suggests Tehran has longer-range missiles than previously thought, the report said.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
Base in the middle of the Indian Ocean
One of the missiles failed in flight and the other was hit by an interceptor fired from a US warship, although it was not clear whether the missile had been hit. newspapers reported.
Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands is one of two bases Britain allows the United States to use for “defensive” operations in Iran.
US forces have stationed bombers and other equipment at the base, a key hub for operations in Asia, including the US bombing campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Britain has agreed to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after holding them since the 1960s and holds a lease for the base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands.
US President Donald Trump has criticized the decision.
