As President Donald Trump weighs up striking Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities, this rarely mentioned US military base will become key to any possible US operations against Iran.
Located in the heart of the Indian Ocean, surrounded by water on all sides, out of sight but very close to global conflict zones, lies one of the United States’ best-known secrets, and a prime operational asset, especially when looking west toward Iran: the Diego Garcia military base.
What is there, what aircraft operate from it, and why could it become a critical link in any future conflict in the Middle East?
The strategic military base has dominated the media this week, but it has long held a presence on the Pentagon’s operational maps. Amid rising tensions with countries like Iran, Diego Garcia has transformed from a forgotten island into a critical strategic jumping-off point, especially for stealth aircraft such as the B-2 Spirit and the B-1 Lancer, which are capable of reaching directly into the heart of Iran and returning without requiring aerial refueling.
Diego Garcia is part of the Chagos Archipelago, located about 4,700 km. southwest of Iran and about 1,800 km. south of India. It is not an independent country but a British territory leased to the United States since the 1960s. The military base on it was established in the 1970s as part of the US’s geostrategic response to Soviet hegemony, but has since become one of the most important operational hubs outside the borders of the United States.
A US B-2 Spirit bomber, part of the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, stops for refueling at the US military base on Diego Garcia in this file photo taken October 8, 2001, following an air strike mission over Afghanistan. (credit: REUTERS/U.S. Department of Defense/Senior Airman Rebeca M. Luquin/Handout)
A US B-2 Spirit bomber, part of the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, stops for refueling at the US military base on Diego Garcia in this file photo taken October 8, 2001, following an air strike mission over Afghanistan. (credit: REUTERS/U.S. Department of Defense/Senior Airman Rebeca M. Luquin/Handout)

Logistically, it is a massive base. It has a runway over 3,600 meters long, enough to launch heavy transport aircraft and strategic bombers. The base also houses a deep-water port, which serves as a docking area for nuclear submarines and naval vessels. It also operates control centers and satellites, air defense systems, advanced intelligence facilities, and rapid delivery capabilities.

Critical link for Middle East conflict

According to foreign reports, Diego Garcia is often used as a staging post for covert and operational missions throughout Asia and the Middle East. The B-2 strategic bomber, capable of carrying bunker-busting bombs such as the GBU-57, has previously launched missions to operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now, in light of the Iranian threat and tensions surrounding the nuclear project, the base may once again become a focus of renewed activity.

The B2 stealth bombers are in the possession of the US Air Force exclusively, and no other country possesses such capabilities: an aircraft that can fly over 10,000 km. without being detected by radar, carry dozens of tons of precision ammunition, strike targets deep inside enemy territory, and return to its base – all in a single mission. The distance from Iran to Diego Garcia is considerable, but it is not an obstacle: the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is capable of flying sorties of over 40 hours and can be refueled in the air as needed along the way.
Alongside the bombers, the base also operates reconnaissance aircraft, Global Hawk drones, and KC-135 and KC-10 tanker aircraft. There are also reports of special forces units and advanced electronic equipment for cyber and surveillance operations. Despite its remote location, Diego Garcia is central to the US strategy of surrounding China and Iran with an operational presence. Its position in the center of the Indian Ocean allows for rapid reinforcements to be sent to conflict zones without relying on political bases that could object to their use, such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, or Saudi Arabia – countries that face diplomatic and political constraints.

Who owns the island?

The base operates under a joint British-American operation but is, in fact, under full operational control of the US military. According to various estimates, around 4,000 soldiers and logistics personnel are permanently stationed there, although the numbers vary according to operational needs.

Over the years, international controversy has arisen over the ownership of the island. The original inhabitants of the Chagos Islands, who were exiled in the 1970s, are waging a legal battle to reclaim the territory. The International Court of Justice ruled in 2019 that Britain illegally holds the island, but de facto ownership has not changed, and Diego Garcia remains in Western hands.
Strategically, the island is a true military gem. The media silence surrounding it stems not from its lack of importance, but from its sensitive operational potential. Military analyses indicate that in the event of an attack on Iran, whether it concerns the nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, Isfahan, or Bushehr, Diego Garcia is where the first planes would likely launch from.
And if you were wondering who exactly Diego Garcia was, the island was probably named after the Spanish explorer Diego Garcia de Moguer, who explored the area in the 16th century as part of Spanish and Portuguese expeditions in the Indian Ocean.

Although the Spanish did not establish a permanent settlement there, Garcia’s name remained attached to the island and took root over the years. The island then passed to French control and was later transferred to Britain as part of its colonial rule over the Indian Ocean. Today, despite its distinctly Latin character, there is no Spanish or Portuguese presence on the island, and it remains a historical testament to a time when European explorers dominated the world’s maritime trade routes.