Iran calls to strike U.S. base Diego Garcia ‘immediately’

Iranian armed forces have called for a preemptive strike on the Diego Garcia military base before America uses it to target the Islamic Republic.

A senior Iranian official said military commanders have been asked to target the joint UK-US base, which sits on Britain’s Chagos Islands, in an attempt to deter Donald Trump from striking Iran.

The official in Tehran told the Telegraph: “Top commanders are being urged to launch preemptive strikes on the island and its base if Trump’s threats have become more serious.”

He added: “Discussions about the island have intensified since the Americans deployed bombers there.”

At least three B-2 Spirit jets arrived at the strategic US-UK outpost last week, according to satellite imagery.

Dubbed the “ghosts of the sky”, the B-2 bombers are capable of slipping past the most advanced air defences and delivering deadly payloads.

Diego Garcia is the main island in the Chagos Archipelago – the British-owned Indian Ocean territory which Sir Keir Starmer wants to return to Mauritius.
The future of the military base is a key point of contention in the deal to give up the islands.

As part of Sir Keir’s proposed deal, Diego Garcia would be leased back to the UK at a reported annual cost of £90 million per year, so the US can continue its military operations there.

One Iranian regime supporter said the island should have been targeted long before the US deployed bombers.

He said: “I find it very unlikely that the country’s top defence commanders, since the 1990s, have not considered a missile attack – either ballistic or cruise – on Chagos. And if they weren’t, they’d definitely be very stupid.”

The base supports B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and B-52 Stratofortress bombers, so it is significant for operations across Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Some 4,000 military personnel and contractors – the majority of whom are American – are also housed at the base.

The Iranian state media outlet said that the B-2 Spirit bomber would likely use Diego Garcia as a launching point for any potential attack on Iranian underground facilities.

The Iranian official said: “Some are suggesting that missiles be fired towards the island, not with the intent to hit anything, but to fall into the water to send a clear message to the Americans that we are serious.”

Tensions between Iran and America have significantly escalated since Mr Trump returned to the White House.

Last month, Mr Trump renewed his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, which included continuing his efforts to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons by reducing its oil exports to zero.

But he has also expressed interest in quickly negotiating a “verified nuclear peace agreement” with the country.

Iran is seeking ways to revive the 2015 nuclear deal that Mr Trump withdrew from in 2018, while the US is pushing for complete disarmament.

Mr Trump warned Iran on Sunday that there would be “bombing the likes of which they have never seen before” if it rejects his nuclear weapons deal.

While flying on Air Force One he told reporters: “We’ll see if we can get something done. And if not, it’s going to be a bad situation.”

He added: “I would prefer a deal to the other alternative which I think everybody in this plane knows what that is, and that’s never going to be pretty.”

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