Iran expanded the West Asian conflict by launching a twin missile attack on Diego Garcia, the joint US-UK military base about 3,800 km away in the Indian Ocean, while the UN nuclear watchdog confirmed a fresh strike on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility. Iran also claimed to have hit an Israeli F-16.
One missile reportedly failed in flight and the other was intercepted by a US warship. Diego Garcia, a remote atoll with strategic facilities and capacity for long-range bombers, has long been used as a launchpad for operations in West Asia.
The strike demonstrated Tehran’s ability to field missiles approaching 4,000 km, a possibility flagged in January by Iran Watch, a think-tank of the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control. Iran had previously declared a 2,000 km range limit for its missiles. Western analysts say the weapon used was likely the Khorramshahr-IV; Iran Watch had assessed that the missile was “likely deployed” and could exceed declared ranges if fitted with a lighter warhead.
A missile traveling 4,000 km follows a high parabolic arc, exiting and re-entering the atmosphere; missiles over 3,000 km are classed as intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs). Since the 1980s Iran has developed its missile program and improved re-entry vehicle and warhead maneuverability, with research centered at the Shahid Hemmat Missile Industries Complex in Tehran.
A June US Congress assessment, “Iran’s Ballistic Missile Programs,” said Iran “continues to bolster the lethality and precision” of its domestically produced missiles and has the largest regional stockpiles. The US National Air and Space Intelligence Center lists at least 14 Iranian ballistic missile variants. The US Institute of Peace has warned Iran’s space launch vehicle program could have dual-use potential for ballistic missile development.
On technology links, analysts note probable inspiration from North Korean systems. The Khorramshahr appears based on North Korea’s Hwasong-10 (Musudan), which U.S. intelligence estimates at 2,500–4,000 km—exceeding Iran’s declared 2,000 km limit for Khorramshahr.
Separately, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran informed it that the Natanz enrichment site was struck; the IAEA reported no increase in off-site radiation levels but is assessing the situation. Director General Rafael Grossi urged military restraint and warned that strikes on nuclear facilities could cause dangerous radiological incidents. While preliminary reports indicated no detectable radioactive leakage outside Natanz, experts caution that even limited damage poses risks to safety, the environment, and regional stability. The Natanz facility, central to Iran’s uranium enrichment program, has been targeted before; the IAEA said it is monitoring developments, seeking further information from Iranian authorities, and maintaining contact with inspectors on the ground.
