The Remote Island of Diego Garcia: More than Meets the Eye
Iran recently targeted Diego Garcia, a secluded island in the Indian Ocean, with missiles. This island holds a significant U.S.-U.K. military base. The U.K. disapproved of Iran's audacious attacks, which fortunately did not succeed in striking the base. The distance the missiles traveled before reaching the island remains unknown, but what is clear is the strategic importance of the base on the remote island.
A Crucial Center for US Military Operations
The U.S. has found the military base on Diego Garcia to be an essential asset for its security operations in the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa. Around 2,500 personnel, primarily Americans, are stationed at this base, which has been a support for U.S. military efforts from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2008, it was revealed that the base was also used for undercover rendition flights of terror suspects.
Amid a heavy airstrike campaign against Yemen's Houthi rebels last year, the U.S. sent multiple nuclear-capable B-2 Spirit bombers to Diego Garcia. Initially, the U.K. did not permit the base to be used for U.S-Israeli attacks on Iran. However, after Iran retaliated against its neighbors, the U.K. allowed American bombers to use Diego Garcia and another British base to target Iran's missile sites, including those used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The British government stated that these bases could only be used for "specific and limited defensive operations." However, Iran's Foreign Minister has criticized the U.K. Prime Minister, claiming that the use of U.K. bases for aggression against Iran is endangering British lives.
Iran has previously set restrictions on its ballistic missile program, limiting their range to 1,240 miles. Diego Garcia is far beyond that range. Despite this, there have been allegations that Iran's space program could potentially facilitate the creation of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Diego Garcia: A Disputed Piece of Land
Diego Garcia is a part of the Chagos Archipelago, a chain of more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean off the coast of India. France ceded the islands to the British in 1814. In the 1960s and 70s, Britain displaced as many as 2,000 people from Diego Garcia to allow the U.S. military to build the base there.
In recent years, the U.K.'s control over the archipelago and its forced displacement of the local population have received widespread criticism. The United Nations and the International Court of Justice have called for the U.K. to end its "colonial administration" of the islands and transfer their sovereignty to Mauritius.
Controversy over Sovereignty
Last year, after lengthy negotiations, the U.K. government agreed to transfer the islands' sovereignty to Mauritius. In return, Britain would lease the Diego Garcia base for at least 99 years. This agreement, according to the U.K. government, would protect the future of the base, which is susceptible to legal challenges.
However, the agreement has sparked controversy. Critics, including many British opposition politicians, argue that relinquishing the islands could make them vulnerable to interference from China and Russia. Some displaced Chagos islanders and their descendants have also contested the deal, claiming they weren't consulted and the agreement leaves them uncertain about whether they'll ever be allowed to return to their homeland.
The U.S. administration initially endorsed the deal, but the U.S. President changed his stance later, criticizing it as "an act of GREAT STUPIDITY" on his social media platform. The U.K.'s initial refusal to let the U.S. attack Iran from Diego Garcia further upset the U.S. President, who criticized the U.K. for being "very, very uncooperative with that stupid island that they have."
The U.K.-Mauritius deal's progress through Parliament has been delayed until U.S. support can be regained.