Tehran, March 21 — Iran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles toward the joint US-UK military base at Diego Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago, US officials told The Wall Street Journal. One missile failed in flight, and a US warship launched an SM-3 interceptor at the second missile; it is unclear whether that interception succeeded. The report did not specify the timing of the launches.
Diego Garcia lies about 4,000 kilometres from Iran, suggesting Tehran’s missile range may be greater than the 2,000 kilometres Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, publicly stated last month. The SM-3 interceptor used by the US Navy destroys short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles by a hit-to-kill method—its “kill vehicle” collides with targets at high speed, relying on kinetic force rather than an explosive warhead.
Speaking outside the White House, US President Donald Trump said Washington is “very close” to winding down military operations against Iran and that the US is not seeking a ceasefire. He posted that the US is “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,” listing objectives that include degrading Iranian missile capability and destroying its defense industrial base, navy, air force and anti-aircraft weaponry, as well as preventing any move toward nuclear capability and protecting regional allies.
The Pentagon has deployed three additional warships and thousands of Marines to the region.
Iran has warned it may expand retaliation beyond the Middle East. Senior military spokesperson General Abolfazl Shekarchi warned that “parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations” worldwide would not be safe for Iran’s enemies, raising concerns about possible asymmetric attacks outside the region.
Iran has stepped up attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure; reports said two waves of Iranian drones struck Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery early Friday, causing a fire at one of the region’s largest refineries (about 730,000 barrels per day capacity). Tehran also warned the United Arab Emirates it would target Ras al-Khaimah if Iranian Gulf islands were attacked again from UAE territory.
On the diplomatic front, Araghchi criticised the UK for allowing US forces to use its bases for strikes, saying most British people do not want to be part of an “Israel-U.S. war of choice on Iran” and accusing UK leadership of endangering British lives. Iran maintains it is acting in self-defence and said it may allow Japanese-linked vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz, indicating limited flexibility amid tensions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said joint US-Israeli strikes have “significantly weakened” Iran’s military capabilities and asserted that Iran’s missile and drone arsenal is being “massively degraded” and that industrial facilities producing missile components are being destroyed.
Separately, US defence firm RTX Corporation said its subsidiary Raytheon signed multiple long-term agreements with the US Department of War to expand production of key munitions, including the SM-3 interceptor, and plans to scale up production of Tomahawk, AMRAAM, SM-3 and SM-6 systems, with output expected to rise two to four times current levels.
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