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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
UNIAN, photo ua.depositphotos.com, OP Tehran is considering the possibility of strikes on American military facilities in Europe if U.S. President Donald Trump decides to resume large-scale attacks on Iran. Under threat could also be submarine fiber-optic cables in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz. This is reported by Financial Times, citing sources close to the Iranian authorities.
According to insiders, Iranian forces evaluated the possibility of attacking American facilities in South and Southeast European countries. Among the potential targets was Bulgaria, which recently allowed the use of the Bezmer air base for refueling American aircraft.
Tehran also considered Cyprus as a possible target in case of a renewed American advance. There lies the British air base at Akrotiri, which was attacked by a drone in March.
Iran threatens to widen the war
According to the sources, in a new large-scale conflict Iran could move away from the previous strategy that envisaged strikes mainly on American military facilities and infrastructure in the Middle East.
One of the interviewees said that Tehran would not set geographical limits on its response if the United States strikes Iran:
“If the United States goes too far, Iran will defend itself by any means, cross the region’s boundaries, and also strike Europe.”
In July, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps already threatened Great Britain over the use of British bases by American forces. Tehran stated that any base used for attacks on Iran could become a legitimate target.
Iran is also considering the possibility of attacking submarine fiber-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz. Such a move could create additional problems for global communications and infrastructure.
Is Iran capable of attacking Europe?
Experts consider the threat of Iranian strikes on European targets real, but its scale is limited. According to Sidharth Kaushal of the Royal United Services Institute, Iran could employ medium-range ballistic missiles against American facilities in Southern and Southeast Europe.
As distance increases, precision and effectiveness of such strikes decline. The expert noted that heavier missiles could cover significant distances only if their warhead load is reduced.
Douglas Barrie of the International Institute for Strategic Studies also drew attention to Iran’s attempts to strike the American-British base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. He said these launches indicate that Iran has missiles with ranges of more than 2 thousand kilometers.
At the same time, it is unclear how many such missiles Tehran has and whether it is ready to use them for demonstrative strikes.
Iran has already demonstrated long-range capabilities
Iran has already tried to attack distant American targets. After the start of the war between the United States and Israel against Iran, Washington reported several Iranian missile launches toward Diego Garcia, located about 4 thousand kilometers from Iran. According to the United States, none of them hit the target.
In March, Turkey reported that NATO's air defenses intercepted several ballistic missiles launched from Iran. In the same month, the Akrotiri British air base on Cyprus was attacked by a drone. Western officials then speculated that Iranian allies in the region could have been behind the attack.
At the same time, Financial Times sources named the previous month’s strike by Iran on a U.S. base in Jordan, which killed three U.S. service members, one of Tehran’s most accurate long-range strikes.
In Tehran, hardline supporters gain strength
The hardening of threats comes amid the diplomatic failure to stop the conflict. Talks on restoring traffic through the Hormuz Strait have reached a stalemate, and the U.S. president stated that Washington is not negotiating with Tehran now and does not plan to.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently appointed hardline figures to key security and defense posts.
Among them is former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaee, who received an important position in national security.
According to sources, this staffing move may indicate Iran’s preparation for a long confrontation with the United States.
At the same time, experts believe Tehran would benefit from acting through allied groups in the region, in particular Shiite formations in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen.
Iran in the spotlight - latest statements
Recently, Trump stated that he plans to declare the Hormuz Strait American territory in the near future. During a speech on Long Island, the U.S. president said: “Very soon I will declare the Hormuz Strait to be U.S. territory.”
Iranian authorities stated that they do not intend to renounce control over the strait and may continue its blockade. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi reacted sharply to Trump’s words and said that the strategic route cannot be “captured” by statements on social media, military force, or political orders.
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