Iran denies targeting Diego Garcia base, accuses Israel of 'false flag' disinformation

2026-03-23 - 08:39

Iran on Monday denied allegations that it targeted a US-UK military base on Diego Garcia with missiles, dismissing the claim as an "Israeli false flag." Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a statement on X that recent accusations lacked credibility and reflected a pattern of "disinformation." NATO skepticism "That even the NATO Secretary General (Mark Rutte) declines to endorse Israel's most recent disinformation, speaks volumes: the world has grown thoroughly exhausted with these tired and discredited 'false flag' storylines," he wrote. The denial came after Rutte said the alliance "cannot confirm" Israel's claim that missiles targeting Diego Garcia were Iranian intercontinental ballistic missiles. Reported incident On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that two intermediate-range ballistic missiles had been fired toward the base, with neither striking it. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Anadolu's request for comment. Diego Garcia is one of two bases the UK has authorized the US to use as part of its ongoing military campaign against Iran. Strategic significance The reported incident had drawn attention because Diego Garcia lies 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) from Iran, double the 2,000-kilometer limit Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed Tehran had deliberately imposed on its missiles. The island, the largest in the Chagos Archipelago in the central Indian Ocean, has hosted a joint US-UK military presence since the 1970s and serves as a base for long-range bombers and other strategic assets. Conflict context Regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing over 1,300 people according to Iranian authorities, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolgirls. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.