A threatened Iranian attack on British military facilities in the Chagos Islands would trigger a regional conflict, experts say.
In recent days, Iranian forces have called for a pre-emptive strike on the Diego Garcia UK-US Pacific security outpost to deter any American attack on its mainland.
According to the country’s security officials, they have been ordered to plan for such an attack in a bid to keep fiery US President Donald Trump at bay.
Tehran appears to have been unsettled by the recent arrival at Diego Garcia of at least three US B-2 Spirit aircraft, known as Stealth Bombers. Satellite images have shown the nuclear bombers parked on the airstrip in a frightening display of US military power.
Iranian state-controlled media outlets have reported the appearance of the B-2s as proof the US intends to strike the country’s nuclear facilities.
Britain has maintained a military presence on the island since the Second World War.
The future of the airstrip and other security facilities are currently the subject of controversial negotiations between the UK and Mauritius which wants to take back sovereignty of the islands.
Today, former UK military intelligence commander Philip Ingram said any Iranian attack on Diego Garcia would spark a Middle East war – but that they are probably bluffing.
If Iran did strike, Israel would likely join the US is launching counter attacks on mainland Iran intended to destroy military facilities.
Satellite images show three B-2 Spirit aircrafts (circled) on the Diego Garcia UK-US security outpost
Mr Ingram said: ‘Iran has the capability on paper to strike Diego Garcia. They know the US would respond by destroying the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [also known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards] across Iran.
‘I think Iran is using rhetoric to threaten the Chagos Islands. They will have observed the debate in the UK and elsewhere about the islands’ future.
‘Fortunately, it is merely words on Tehran’s part and intended to signal strength to their regional allies.’
Mr Trump has threatened to attack Iran should it fail to strike a deal over its nuclear programme. He has written to the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, setting out the US’s position.
The US President has predicted ‘bombing, the likes of which we have never seen before’, should Iran fail to comply.
Iran, meanwhile, complained to the United Nations Security Council on Monday about Mr Trump’s ‘reckless and belligerent’ remarks.
Iran’s long-range Khorramshahr missile and the Shahed-136B kamikaze drone could reach the Chagos Islands from southern Iran, a journey of around 2,400 miles.
The Diego Garcia naval and air base, home to 4,000 service personnel and civilians, is also lightly defended.
It plays a crucial role in the UK’s nuclear weapons chain, due to the targeting and positioning technologies based there.
Iran’s long-range Khorramshahr missile and the Shahed-136B kamikaze drone could reach the Chagos Islands from southern Iran
Diego Garcia is the largest of the Chagos Islands and home to a UK-US military base
Last October, the UK announced it would hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius but would maintain a 99-year lease over the military airbase on the largest island, Diego Garcia.
However when a new Mauritian prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, was elected shortly afterwards, he wanted to renegotiate the terms. It is believed Mauritius has demanded the UK double its payment to £18billion in order to lease back the military base when it acquires sovereignty over the islands.
Mr Ramgoolam also expects the payment to be inflation-linked and frontloaded – meaning the UK would have to pay in full immediately.
Despite Foreign Office assurances that the UK will only sign a deal that is ‘in our national interest’, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has come under attack over Britain’s position in negotiations.
Yesterday it emerged US President Donald Trump had signed off on the UK’s deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
A spokesperson for Sir Keir said the UK was now ‘working with the Mauritian government to finalise the deal and sign the treaty’.
Britain and the United States are against Iran developing a nuclear weapon. The country has been attempting to do so secretly for decades, in breach of international accords.
The Foreign Office has also condemned Iran’s threats to the Chagos Islands ‘in the strongest terms’.
Iran is believed to possess the Middle East’s largest ballistic missile inventory and demonstrated its capabilities against Israel during the recent conflict.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, has said of Donald Trump’s threat to bomb his country: ‘If they commit any mischief, they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow’
Iranian missiles at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded to Mr Trump’s bombing threats on Monday.
He said: ‘The enmity from the US and Israel has always been there. They threaten to attack us, which we don’t think is very probable, but if they commit any mischief, they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow.’
Mr Khamenei is also under pressure from hardliners to lift a ban on building nuclear bombs.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Brigadier General Amir Hajizadeh said: ‘The Americans have at least ten bases in the region, around Iran, with more than 50,000 troops – this means they are sitting in a glass house. Someone sitting in a glass house does not throw stones at others.’
Meanwhile, China has today kicked off large-scale military and coastguard exercises around Taiwan, in yet another bid to destabilise the country.
