𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Iranian forces are believed to have fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The incident emerged in the US media on Saturday morning, with reports that one of the missiles was shot down by an American warship and the other failed mid-flight. The Government is facing growing questions over when the attack was launched and why the public was not informed earlier.

“Now we find out, from the media and not the Prime Minister, that the British base on Diego Garcia has been the target of Iranian missile attacks.

“As we saw with Peter Mandelson, Starmer’s first instinct is always to cover up the truth. On Wednesday he attacked me at PMQs for calling for the proper defence of our bases, now we learn that as he did so our base in the Chagos Islands was being targeted by Iran.”

She added: “The Prime Minister needs to immediately come clean about the details of this latest attack on British troops and explain why the public weren’t informed sooner.”

It is understood Iran launched the missiles at Diego Garcia prior to ministers giving the US permission for the further strikes on Friday afternoon.

Iran’s de facto closure of the key trade route has been a driving force behind soaring global oil and gas prices.

The Ministry of Defence declined to comment on when the Iranian attack was launched but condemned the action as “reckless”.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also criticised Iran, adding the UK is only supporting defensive action and that ministers want a swift resolution to the war which has raged for three weeks.

Diego Garcia is around 2,360 miles away from Iran and home to an airbase capable of accommodating long-range US bombers.

The UK has agreed to cede sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius and lease back the base.

Diego Garcia is strategically valuable to the US, and has been used as a launchpad for operations in the Middle East for years.

It has a large airfield, major fuel storage facilities, radar installations and a deep-water port.

It is home to about 2,500 mostly American personnel.