If the United States decides to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities, the airbase it might use is a small island in the Indian Ocean. This island is rarely associated with the Middle East, but the US has been using it for decades to project military power in the region. This strategic location provides a crucial advantage for potential operations.
Read Also...:
Egypt submarine sinking: What we know so far
04-03, 2025
Family of aid worker killed in Gaza criticise 'empty apologies'
04-03, 2025
Survivor challenges Israeli account of attack on Gaza ambulances
04-03, 2025
Middle East and North Africa experiencing 'escalating HIV epidemic'
04-03, 2025This week, the US has been assembling B-2 bombers on Diego Garcia, a stealth aircraft used for precision strikes that can evade air defense systems. Diego Garcia, located approximately 700 kilometers south of the Maldives, is home to a joint US-UK military base. The island's remote location makes it an ideal staging ground for sensitive military operations.
The US military confirmed earlier this week that it had deployed B-2 bombers to the island. Open-source satellite information provided by Planet Labs showed three B-2 bombers parked at the US base. On Friday, images shared by other open-source accounts showed at least five B-2 bombers at the base, indicating a significant build-up of strategic assets.
Diego Garcia is part of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The US footprint on the island dates back to the decline of the British Empire. In the 1960s, Britain was withdrawing from its colonies but wanted to retain some strategic leverage on the map to maintain its power on the world stage. In the Eastern Mediterranean, they established a base in Cyprus. In the Indian Ocean, they pressured Mauritius, a former British colony, to sell the Chagos Archipelago for a mere £3 million.
To build a military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago, the UK forcibly evicted approximately 1,500 local islanders without compensation, resettling them in the slums of Mauritius and the Seychelles. The US signed a 50-year base lease agreement in 1966, with a 20-year renewal option, as part of a secret deal that reduced the cost of US ballistic missiles sold to the UK in exchange for the base, highlighting the strategic importance of the location to both nations.
The base is critical for the US to project power in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific regions and has become a preferred base when the US is in a bind. For example, in the late 1990s, the US conducted sporadic bombings of Saddam Hussein's forces, but Saudi Arabia hesitated to allow the US to fly warplanes from its airports. US military strategists drafted plans to have B-52 bombers stationed on Diego Garcia bomb Saddam's Iraq, demonstrating the base's versatility.
A US defense official told Middle East Eye that, until recently, Gulf states had placed strict limitations on the US using their airbases to strike Houthi forces in Yemen. The Trump administration secured permission for its recent strikes against the Houthis, but allowing the US to bomb Iran directly from their countries would be far more dangerous for the Gulf monarchs, highlighting the delicate political considerations involved in regional military operations.
During the US "War on Terror," US bombers flew directly from Diego Garcia to targets in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Diego Garcia was also used for refueling. This week, satellite images showed multiple KC-135 refueling tankers at the base. The presence of these tankers underscores the island's role as a critical logistical hub for long-range military operations.
Diego Garcia made headlines late last year when the British Labour government agreed to return the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius. The agreement gives Britain an initial 99-year lease on Diego Garcia. In February, US President Donald Trump indicated he would support the agreement, but the deal has not been finalized and has been criticized by conservative US lawmakers, raising questions about the future of the base.
Increasingly tense relations with Iran have brought Diego Garcia back into focus. The assembly of B-2 bombers comes as the US and Tehran are both engaging in shows of force ahead of potential nuclear negotiations. The US has already launched deadly strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, which many analysts see as a signal to Tehran. B-2 bombers are capable of carrying 30,000-pound "bunker buster" bombs, which are needed to penetrate Iran's deeply buried nuclear facilities, known as Massive Ordnance Penetrators. Their stationing on Diego Garcia puts the bombers 4,000 kilometers from Houthi-controlled territory and 5,300 kilometers from Iran, well within their refueling range of approximately 11,000 kilometers.
Trump told reporters on Friday: "My biggest preference – and I say that not out of strength or weakness – my biggest preference is that we make a deal with Iran. But if we don't make a deal, they're going to have very, very bad things happen to them." His statement underscores the high stakes involved in the ongoing tensions and the potential for military action.
Trump's remarks came a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that Tehran had responded through Omani intermediaries to a letter from Trump calling for nuclear negotiations. Araqchi said that indirect talks with the US would continue, but that Iran "firmly rejects direct negotiations under maximum pressure and military threats." Axios previously reported that Trump's March letter set a two-month window for negotiations or warned of military action, highlighting the urgency and potential consequences of the current situation.
