What to know about Diego Garcia after Iran targeted the US base
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- Iran launched missiles targeting the strategic U.K.-U.S. military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, though the attack was unsuccessful and the proximity of the missiles to the island remains unclear.
- Diego Garcia serves as a critical hub for U.S. military operations across the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa, hosting about 2,500 personnel and supporting various military campaigns including those in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
- The island, part of the Chagos Archipelago, has been under British control since 1814, but Britain forcibly displaced the local population in the 1960s and 1970s to build the base, leading to international calls for sovereignty transfer to Mauritius.
- The U.K
