'Tiny island, massive power': How US-UK airbase on Diego Garcia Island is strategic goldmine for America in war

Iran launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles towards the joint US-UK military base located at Diego Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago, according to The Wall Street Journal. The attempted strike is significant as Garcia, which is a remote island in the Indian Ocean located around 4,000 kilometres from Iran. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has strongly responded to what it described as Iran’s reckless attacks.

Diego Garcia, a remote island in the Indian Ocean, is considered a paradise of lush vegetation and white-sand beaches, which is also surrounded by crystal blue waters. However, the Island is not a tourist destination. It is strictly out of reach to most civilians as the site acts as a highly secretive UK-US military base.

Situated roughly 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from the closest mainland, this territory ranks among the most isolated islands on the planet. Access is strictly limited, as commercial flights do not exist and maritime travel is heavily restricted; boat permits are typically reserved for the outer islands or for transit through the Indian Ocean. These islands have remained under British administration since 1814.

For decades, the UK held the islands as the "British Indian Ocean Territory" (BIOT) after forcibly removing the native Chagossian population in the 1960s. However, the Treaty was signed in May 2025, when the UK agreed to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius to resolve long-standing legal disputes. Crucially, the deal ensures that the UK and US maintain full administrative and military control over Diego Garcia, specifically for at least 99 years.

The airbase of the UK-US in Diego Garcia is home to about 2,500 mostly American personnel and has supported US military operations from the Vietnam War to Iraq, Afghanistan, and strikes on the Houthis of Yemen. The military base is considered one of the most strategically significant and controversial military installations in the world. It is a joint UK-US facility located on a coral atoll in the centre of the Indian Ocean, acting as a "permanent aircraft carrier" for Western power projection.

The strategic importance of the Diego Garcia airbase to the US and UK is immense, often described by defence officials as "unthinkable" to lose. Located in the centre of the Indian Ocean, it serves as a primary hub for projecting power across the Middle East, South Asia, and the Indo-Pacific. The base features a massive airfield with runways long enough for B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers, and reconnaissance aircraft. It was a critical launchpad for operations in the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan. It also provides deep-water port supports to nuclear-powered submarines and carrier strike groups.

It sits roughly 3,000 km from the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab-el-Mandeb (Red Sea), and the Strait of Malacca. This allows the US and UK to safeguard global trade routes, through which one-third of the world’s cargo and two-thirds of its oil pass.