By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News
At a time when Iran is seen as a growing threat in the region, a number of F-15 fighters have been sent to the US base on Diego Garcia.
A spokesman for the US Indo-Pacific Command has been quoted as saying the planes were deployed to protect the assets on the island. According to The War Zone website, the US has a number of B-52 bombers, five KC-135 tankers and a C-17 cargo plane on Diego Garcia, which the US shares with UK forces.
A little more than a two months ago, six B-2 bombers arrived on the island. Later, they reportedly bombed Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, and at least some of them have returned to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri..
In the past, Iran would not be considered a threat to Diego Garcia, which the Indian Ocean h is located more than 3,200 miles from Iranian territory. But in March, Tehran threatened to launch ballistic missiles and drone strikes against the base. Both the Khorramshahr medium-range missile and the Shahed-136B are believed to be able to reach the region. And Iranian media has suggested that missiles and drones could be launched from naval vessels.
In a speech on Al-Quds Day, a holiday that is celebrated to show support for the Palestinian people, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf warned,” The Americans are fully aware of their vulnerabilities. Should they dare to breach Iran’s borders, it will be akin to igniting a fuse in a powder keg. The entire region will erupt. Their bases and those of their allies will no longer be safe.”
The US got the green light to station forces on Diego Garcia in 1966, when Washington and London agreed to a lengthy lease. Earlier, the UK had pressured Mauritius – one of its former colonies – to sell it the island.
Diego Garcia rose in strategic importance during the “war on terror”, when Gulf states were reluctant to let the US fly bombing missions from their air bases. So instead, long-range bombers such as the B-52 flew out of Diego Garcia to strike targets in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Meanwhile, the island also is a logistics center for US forces, has facilities for Space Force operations and has facilities for US Navy vessels, including nuclear submarines and Sealift Command cargo ships.
Jim Morris is the Warrior Vice President, News. Morris is a former Executive, Producer and Editor at ABC News and Bloomberg TV
