Iran war thrusts Diego Garcia into spotlight as official calls US military base integral

An official with the self-described Chagossian government-in-exile said Sunday that the war with Iran has underscored Diego Garcia’s strategic importance to U.S.forces and Middle East regional stability, with the Pentagon shifting logistics to the remote U.K.-U.S.

base in the Indian Ocean after an Iranian strike on a major American installation in Bahrain.The base, in the southern Chagos Archipelago, has reportedly supported carrier strike groups including the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose forces have conducted air operations and helped enforce the blockade of Iranian ports.The U.S.military’s wartime logistics network now stretches across a roughly 2,200-mile maritime supply route to Diego Garcia, allowing forces to avoid coastal facilities vulnerable to Iranian attacks but requiring longer shuttle runs and slower replenishment, according to The New York Times."That is an inconvenience, but it shows the importance of the base," James Tumbridge, an international lawyer who serves as attorney general for the Chagossian government-in-exile, told Fox News Digital.UK DEFENSE SHORTFALLS HIGHLIGHTED AS BRITAIN AVOIDS IRAN OFFENSIVE ROLE AMID TRUMP CRITICISMDiego Garcia is a strategic Indian Ocean base hosting 2,500 US military personnel.

(Reuters)"The base is integral to regional security for the U.K., U.S.and our allies.

This latest news emphasizes it.""Bahrain is a far easier target, so the U.S.change of supply arrangement makes sense," Tumbridge said, adding, "Hopefully the new British PM will not deny the U.S.

this change of use.""It shows the importance of the base and asking a third country for permission is not what the U.S.will want, and so I hope this means Trump will still oppose the handover," Tumbridge went on to say, referring to a proposed agreement that would transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.In 2025, the U.K.

and Mauritius signed a treaty that would recognize Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago while allowing the U....