Iran confirmed on Saturday that it fired missiles toward Diego Garcia, a remote Indian Ocean island that hosts a major U.S. military base, describing the launch as “a significant step by the Islamic Republic” to threaten U.S. interests and those of its allies beyond West Asia.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency said the launch showed that Iran’s missile range extends “beyond what the enemy imagined.”
Meanwhile, an Iranian official dismissed recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting the possibility of winding down military operations, according to several Iranian channels affiliated with the regime.
“Tehran does not trust Trump’s statements and assessments, and there has been no tangible change in the level of U.S. military activity in the region,” the official was quoted as saying.
The official also said Trump’s remarks about reducing military escalation did not reflect realities on the ground and were intended as psychological messaging aimed at influencing markets amid rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Tehran has concluded that Trump must be taught a historic lesson, not a simple lesson or a temporary response,” the official said.
Separately, the Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday that the Natanz uranium enrichment facility was struck by Israel and the United States. According to the report, the section hit was the Ahmadi Roshan complex. Tasnim said there were no concerns about leakage of hazardous materials from the site and no danger to nearby residents.
Earlier, Iranian media reported that air defense systems had been activated in Tehran.
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Satellite images from March 1 and March 2 show damage at Iran’s Natanz nuclear site following Israeli and US strikes
(Photo: Vantor/Handout via REUTERS)
Meanwhile, Iraq’s National Intelligence Service said an officer was killed in a drone strike earlier in the day on the service’s headquarters in Baghdad.
“We will pursue the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” the agency said in a statement.