Keir Starmer told to 'come clean' after Iran fires two missiles at UK army base

Kemi Badenoch has accused Sir Keir Starmer of "covering up" Iran's attempted attack on the vital Diego Garcia military base. The Tory leader said the "dithering" Prime Minister needs to "come clean" about the details of Iran's failed missile strikes on the joint UK-US base in the Chagos Islands. Iranian forces are believed to have fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean as conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate.

The incident was first reported in the US media on Saturday morning, with claims that one of the missiles was shot down by an American warship and the other failed mid-flight. The government is facing growing questions over when the attack was launched and why the public was not informed earlier, reports the Express . Heaping additional pressure on the PM following a week of withering criticism from Donald Trump over UK support during the Iran war, Mrs Badenoch said: "

Keir Starmer has dithered and delayed on the Iran conflict from the outset. "

Now we find out, from the media and not the Prime Minister, that the British base on Diego Garcia has been the target of Iranian missile attacks. "

As we saw with Peter Mandelson, Starmer's first instinct is always to cover up the truth. On Wednesday he attacked me at PMQs for calling for the proper defence of our bases, now we learn that as he did so our base in the Chagos Islands was being targeted by Iran." She added: "

The Prime Minister needs to immediately come clean about the details of this latest attack on British troops and explain why the public weren't informed sooner." Reports of the attempted assault surfaced hours after Iran cautioned that British lives are "in danger" following a decision to allow American forces to use UK bases - including Diego Garcia - to launch strikes against Iranian missile sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz. It is understood Iran fired the missiles at Diego Garcia before ministers granted the US authorisation for the additional strikes on Friday afternoon.

Iran's effective blockade of the crucial trade route has been a key factor behind rocketing global oil and gas prices. The Ministry of Defence refused to comment on when the Iranian assault was launched but condemned the action as "reckless". Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also slammed Iran, highlighting that the UK is only backing defensive action and that ministers are seeking a rapid resolution to the conflict which has continued for three weeks.

Diego Garcia sits approximately 2,360 miles from Iran and houses an airbase capable of hosting long-range US bombers. The UK has consented to transfer sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius and rent back the base. Diego Garcia holds strategic importance for the US, and has served as a launching point for Middle East operations for years.

It features a substantial airfield, major fuel storage facilities, radar installations and a deep-water port. It houses approximately 2,500 personnel, the majority of whom are American. For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star,