It has now been confirmed that Iran has launched ballistic missiles at the British-American military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
The base is located approximately 3,800 kilometres from Iran. One of the missiles is said to have fallen during its trajectory, while the other was shot down by a United States naval vessel before it reached its target.
Although the attack did not result in damage to the base, the distance itself is regarded as striking.
Previously, Iranian authorities have stated that their ballistic missiles have a range of around 2,000 kilometres. This was to reassure the outside world that the missiles were solely for defensive purposes. The attack on Diego Garcia indicates that the range is approximately twice as long as Iran has claimed.
This has also led to increased attention to which areas can theoretically be reached. The distance from Tehran to several European capitals is of a similar magnitude. Paris lies just over 4,000 kilometres away, while London is somewhat farther. The distance to Oslo is at roughly the same level.
The map shows that Norway is located at the outer edge of what may be an extended range.
The attack on the base in the Chagos Islands marks a new level in the conflict, and for European countries this entails a reassessment of range and preparedness.
BBC writes:
The attempted air strike took place before the United Kingdom agreed to allow the United States to use British military bases to strike Iranian sites targeting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.