The British Ministry of Defense has accused Iran of launching a missile attack on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia on Friday. Iranian officials have not yet admitted their involvement in the missile attack. So And, suspicion is on Iran.

US President Donald Trump had claimed that Iran has missiles that can reach the United States, which has not yet been confirmed.

However, if its involvement in the attack is confirmed, it would indicate that Iran has a more powerful weapon than it claims. Earlier, security experts estimated that Iran has ballistic missiles that can hit a distance of 2,000 kilometers. But Diego Garcia is 4,000 kilometers from Iran.

Diego Garcia is one of a chain of more than 60 islands in the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. These islands lie between the Maldives and Mauritius. The UK alleges that a total of two missiles were fired, one on Diego Garcia and another on an island in the Chagos archipelago.

However, it is not clear whether the missiles reached the island or fell closer. The UK has claimed that the attack failed. There is a joint British and American military air base on Diego Garcia. This base employs about 200 personnel.

In the past, the US and Britain have carried out air strikes from this military base in the Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq wars. The military airport on this island helps maintain dominance in the Asia-Pacific, West Asia, South Asia and Africa. That is why it is considered important.

Last year, the US sent nuclear-capable B-2 Spirit bombers from the island during its airstrikes on Yemen's Houthi rebels.

The US-Israeli attack on Iran began on February 28. A few days after the war began, US President Donald Trump expressed his desire to use the UK-US owned airbase in the war. However, the UK did not allow it to be used.

Then US President Donald Trump heavily criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer, who came under pressure, had said that the US would use the island of Diego Garcia and an airport on another island connected to it just a few days ago.

Britain had said that the US would use the airbase to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. It has explained this move as defensive. However, Iran opposed this move and accused Britain of being directly involved in the war. He also accused the British of putting their lives at risk. Diego Garcia is part of the Chagos Archipelago, a chain of more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean. The islands lie between the Maldives and Mauritius. The British took control of the islands after France left in 1814. In the 1960s and 1970s, Britain removed 2,000 locals from Diego Garcia. The US military then built a joint military air base there. The forced evictions have long been criticized. The United Nations and the International Court of Justice have urged Britain to end its colonial rule over the islands in the Chagos Archipelago and hand them over to Mauritius. After lengthy negotiations, the British government agreed last year to The agreement was signed to transfer sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius. Following the agreement, the UK planned to lease and operate Diego Garcia Airport from Mauritius for 99 years. The UK government believes this will help avoid legal challenges. However, opposition politicians in the UK have claimed that China and Russia could intervene if the UK relinquishes ownership of the islands.