Iran war thrusts Diego Garcia into spotlight as official calls US military base ‘integral’

close Video Iran fires missiles toward US-UK military base President Trump threatens to deploy ICE agents to US airports, sparking debate over DHS funding and airport security. This comes as Iran targets a joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean with intermediate-range ballistic missiles, demonstrating a significant military capability. Experts discuss the Natanz nuclear facility, missile production, and the need for NATO allies to engage in securing the Strait of Hormuz. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! An official with the self-described Chagossian government-in-exile said Sunday that the war with Iran has underscored Diego Garcia’s strategic importance to U. S. forces and Middle East regional stability, with the Pentagon shifting logistics to the remote U. S. base in the Indian Ocean after an Iranian strike on a major American installation in Bahrain. The base, in the southern Chagos Archipelago, has reportedly supported carrier strike groups including the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose forces have conducted air operations and helped enforce the blockade of Iranian ports. S. military’s wartime logistics network now stretches across a roughly 2,200-mile maritime supply route to Diego Garcia, allowing forces to avoid coastal facilities vulnerable to Iranian attacks but requiring longer shuttle runs and slower replenishment, according to The New York Times. "That is an inconvenience, but it shows the importance of the base," James Tumbridge, an international lawyer who serves as attorney general for the Chagossian government-in-exile, told Fox News Digital. UK DEFENSE SHORTFALLS HIGHLIGHTED AS BRITAIN AVOIDS IRAN OFFENSIVE ROLE AMID TRUMP CRITICISM Diego Garcia is a strategic Indian Ocean base hosting 2,500 US military personnel. (Reuters) "The base is integral to regional security for the U. This emphasizes it." "Bahrain is a far easier target, so the U. S. change of supply arrangement makes sense," Tumbridge said, adding, "Hopefully the new British PM will not deny the U. S. this change of use." "It shows the importance of the base and asking a third country for permission is not what the U. S. will want, and so I hope this means Trump will still oppose the handover," Tumbridge went on to say, referring to a proposed agreement that would transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. K. and Mauritius signed a treaty that would recognize Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago while allowing the U. K. to retain control of Diego Garcia for an initial 99-year period. The British government later put implementation of the agreement on hold amid renewed U.