“Neither missile hit the target, which is around 4,000km from Iranian territory, but the launch suggests that Tehran has missiles with longer ranges than previously thought,” the report said.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

“One of the missiles failed in flight, and the other was targeted by an interceptor fired from a US warship, though it was not clear if the missile was hit,” The Journal reported.

Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands is one of two bases Britain is allowing the US to use for “defensive” operations in Iran.

American forces have stationed bombers and other equipment at the base, a key hub for Asia operations, including the US bombing campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Britain has agreed to hand back the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after holding it since the 1960s, and maintains a lease for the base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands.

US president Donald Trump has slammed the decision.