IRAN TARGETS DIEGO GARCIA AFTER US-ISRAELI STRIKE ON NATANZ

Iran said the United States and Israel carried out fresh strikes on its key nuclear facility at Natanz, prompting Tehran to launch missiles toward the strategic US-UK base at Diego Garcia, even as Washington claimed its ongoing bombing campaign had reduced Iran’s ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

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The Shahid Ahmadi Roshan enrichment complex at Natanz — the heart of Iran’s uranium enrichment programme — was hit early Saturday, according to Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation. Iranian authorities described the attack as “criminal aggression” but said there had been no radiation leak and no danger to surrounding communities. Natanz, located about 220 km southeast of Tehran, houses both above-ground and deeply buried centrifuge halls used to enrich uranium to high levels of purity. The site has been repeatedly targeted in past sabotage and military operations because of its central role in Iran's nuclear ambitions.In retaliation, Iran launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia, a remote island in the Indian Ocean that hosts a critical joint US-UK military base used for bomber operations and regional surveillance. One missile malfunctioned mid-flight while another was inter