by WorldTribune Staff, March 22, 2026 Non-AI Real World News

Iran on Friday launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles (ICBMs) toward Diego Garcia, a key U.S.-UK military base in the Indian Ocean.

The Trump Administration said that Iran’s ICBM launches confirm President Donald Trump’s assertion that Iran was a major threat. Diego Garcia is roughly 2,500 miles from Iran, a clear indication that the missile capabilities of the world’s top state sponsor of terrorism exceeded previously acknowledged limits.

U.S. officials confirmed that neither ICBM had struck the base. One failed in flight, while the other was intercepted by a U.S. warship.

In the period leading up to Operation Epic Fury, 28, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had claimed: “We intentionally kept the range of our missiles below 2,000 kilometers so we don’t have that capability. And we don’t want to do that because we do not have hostility against the United States people and all Europeans.”

Analysts are saying the launching of the ICBMs is another indication that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is essentially calling the shots in Teheran.

Jason Brodsky, the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital: “The Trump Administration, in citing Iran’s missile threat as a rationale for Operation Epic Fury, was therefore justified in its decision to undertake military action as Iran has consistently refused to negotiate over its missile program.

“It also shows how dangerous it is to solely rely on Iranian nuclear weapons fatwas and the supreme leader’s public rhetoric in formulating U.S. policy. As long as Iran retains the technical capability beyond public pronouncements, it is a threat.”

Brody added: “I think it’s a message that the IRGC is in charge in Iran after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death. When Khamenei was alive, he limited the range of Iran’s missile program to 2,000 kilometers. Khamenei recounted in 2018 how he had rejected overtures from IRGC commanders seeking to increase the range to as much as 5,000 kilometers.”

On Saturday, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said: “Just yesterday, Iran launched a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 4,000 kilometers [2,500 miles] toward an American target on the island of Diego Garcia. These missiles were not intended to hit Israel. Their range reaches the capitals of Europe — Berlin, Paris and Rome are all within direct threat range.”

Related: Iran’s Strait of Hormuz gamble: Maximum deterrence from decimated arsenal, March 18, 2026

IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani blasted the alleged Iranian deception on X, writing: “Just 3 days before the war, the Iranian regime said they don’t obtain long-range missiles. Today, their lies were exposed once again, when missiles were fired 4000km away from Iran. They hoped to lie their way into becoming a force that can terrorize the world. We didn’t buy it.”

Ilan Berman, vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital: “Despite its public denials, it’s been clear that the Iranian regime has been working on expanding the range of its ballistic missile capabilities for years. The launch toward Diego Garcia confirms that it has made real progress toward that goal and is already able to put targets in the same range as Central and Eastern Europe at risk. Moreover, it’s clear that the regime is seeking still greater capabilities and that, if left intact, Iran’s ballistic missiles would attain intercontinental range soon.”

Berman, the author of “Iran’s Deadly Ambition: The Islamic Republic’s Quest for Global Power,” added, “The parallel development Iran has been carrying out on its space program is significant. The booster used to put payloads into orbit can be married onto a medium-range missile to create intercontinental range capabilities. Before the war, we were seeing a clear convergence of the regime’s strategic programs: its ballistic missile work, its space capabilities and its nuclear program.”

Meanwhile, Trump’s pressure on allies to assist in helping insure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz has paid off.

The UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, and Japan said they are prepared to help ensure safe passage through the key oil shipping lane which has been blocked by Iran.

In a joint statement, the countries condemned Iranian attacks on commercial vessels and energy infrastructure, as well as the effective closure of the key shipping route, and called on Teheran to immediately halt its actions.

“We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict,” the joint statement said. “We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping. We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait.”

The statement came as Iran continued to launch strikes on Persian Gulf energy infrastructure, hitting refineries in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Qatar, while also targeting shipping in the region.

The escalation sent oil prices sharply higher, with Brent crude rising to more than $119 per barrel at session highs and U.S. West Texas Intermediate briefly topping $100, as markets reacted to growing risks to Middle East supply and disruptions to flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly one-fifth of global oil trade.

Trump pressed NATO allies and others to deploy ships to help reopen Hormuz and stabilize energy markets, but there was initially little offer of support, prompting the president to ramp up pressure.

“I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Strait?’“ Trump wrote in a social media post on March 18. ”That would get some of our non-responsive ‘Allies’ in gear, and fast.”

A statement published by Iranian state media attributed to new leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran would keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and continue attacks across the region.

In a post to Truth Social on Saturday evening, Trump warned Iran that if it doesn’t ensure the Strait of Hormuz is fully opened within 48 hours, he will order the destruction of their power plants.

Trump wrote:

If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP

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  Missile strikes validate regime threat, show IRGC in charge; Trump heat on ‘allies’ bears fruit, WorldTribune.com