With talks stalled, Iran ups threats against Gulf, Europe: What to know
The threats have raised concerns that the conflict between Iran and the United States could expand beyond the region.
Iran continued to escalate its threats against the United States and its assets in the region on Wednesday, with Tehran reportedly considering strikes against military targets in Europe if the war with the United States resumes.
What happened: The Financial Times reported on Wednesday that Tehran has considered targeting US military sites and assets in Europe if US President Donald Trump escalates his war against Iran.
Citing two people close to the Iranian regime, the British daily said Iranian forces have assessed potential strikes against US assets in southeastern European countries, including Bulgaria.
Last month, the Bulgarian parliament approved a government proposal allowing the temporary stationing of US tanker aircraft at its Bezmer air base to support US operations in the Middle East.
The Financial Times said Cyprus was also considered as a potential target. The Greek-administered island hosts a British Royal Air Force base in Akrotiri, which was struck by an Iranian-made drone in the early days of the war in March.
According to the paper, Tehran has separately examined the option of attacking subsea fiber-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz if tensions escalate.
The report has raised concerns that the conflict between the United States and Iran could expand beyond the region.
During the US-Israeli war on Iran that erupted on Feb. 28, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at countries in the Gulf and elsewhere in the region that host US and Israeli military assets, including Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as well as Jordan.
In addition, Turkey said in March that NATO air defenses had downed a number of drones fired by Iran toward its territory.
That same month, the United States accused Tehran of launching several missiles toward Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean located roughly 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) from Iran.
Tehran denied the accusations at the time.
What it means: The report comes amid heightened tensions in the region as a 60-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran expired on Monday.
The Iranian armed forces’ newly appointed chief of staff, Ali Abdollahi, said Iran was monitoring military activities in the region, warning Arab Gulf countries against assisting the United States.
In a message posted on his X account on Wednesday, Abdollahi noted that countries that claim not to allow the United States to use their territory against Iran “should know that nothing is hidden from our eyes. This volume of military aircraft, especially refueling planes, in regional bases is unlikely to be occurring without the knowledge of the host countries.”
“We warn that providing any assistance or facility to the aggressive US Army constitutes complicity with US military forces,” Abdollahi continued.
After a brief lull in Iranian attacks following the announcement of a memorandum of understanding reached between the United States and Iran on June 17 to end hostilities on all fronts, Iran resumed its attacks in the region in response to US strikes last month.
The UAE accused Iran of launching two ballistic missiles near the country on Tuesday. According to the Emirati Defense Ministry, one missile fell into Emirati territorial waters, while the second fell in international waters.
Tehran denied responsibility for the attack
Know more: Meanwhile, talks between the two parties have been deadlocked mainly over disagreements over the management of the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on his Truth Social account on Tuesday, Trump said no talks are currently taking place with the Iranian side.
“The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated,” he continued.
Maritime traffic across the strait has been severely disrupted by Iran’s de facto closure of the waterway since the start of the war, as well as by a US naval blockade of Iranian ports and vessels in the region.
Despite the memorandum of understanding, attacks on commercial vessels have continued in the Strait of Hormuz.
In another post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump shared a map on which the Strait of Hormuz is circled and declared the strait US territory.
Iran hit back at Trump’s claims over the key waterway, labeling California as a new territory of Iran. The Iranian Consulate General in Hyderabad, India, posted an image on X on Wednesday showing California highlighted in blue, with the caption: “NEW TERRITORY OF ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN.”
