Is Europe Now Within Range of Iran’s Missiles?

The geopolitical landscape shifted dramatically on March 21, 2026, when Iran launched two ballistic missiles at the joint U.S.-UK base in Diego Garcia.

This strike, covering a distance of 4,000 kilometers, confirms that the previous 2,000-kilometer range cap maintained under the late Supreme Leader has been abandoned following his death in February.

Defense experts warn that European capitals, including Paris, Berlin, and Rome, are now within Iran’s reach, creating a “new dimension” to the conflict for a European Union already strained by the war in Ukraine.

While NATO’s Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system was originally designed to counter Iranian threats, European officials quietly admit that their interceptor stocks are depleted and their systems could be overwhelmed by “saturation attacks.”

As the war expands, Europe finds itself increasingly dependent on U.S. military protection to shield its own skies from a threat that is no longer confined to the Middle East.