Iran has considered targeting US military facilities in southeastern Europe if President Donald Trump orders a fresh escalation of the conflict, the Financial Times reported, citing two people close to the Iranian regime.
The report said Iranian forces have assessed potential strikes on US military positions in Bulgaria and Cyprus. Bulgaria reportedly came under consideration after Sofia approved the use of Bezmer Air Base by US aerial refuelling aircraft last month.
Bulgaria And Cyprus In Iran's Calculations
Meanwhile, Cyprus is also considered an option if the US takes further military action against Iran, one of the sources told the Financial Times.
Recalling a drone attack on a British military base in Cyprus last month, the source said that Western powers have assumed that the attack was carried out by proxies, rather than Iran.
In addition, Iranian authorities have studied the option of attacking underwater optical fiber communication cables in the Strait of Hormuz, if the conflict intensifies.
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Iran Could Look Beyond The Middle East
The scenarios described suggest that Tehran would want to widen the battlefield if another war broke out.
As noted by the FT, Iranian officials believe that a new large-scale conflict with the US would require them to go beyond fighting for military targets, energy infrastructure, and other assets in the Middle East.
Sidharth Kaushal of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) noted that Iran's missile threat to Europe was real but limited. He told the FT that medium-range ballistic missiles would be able to reach American installations in southern and southeastern Europe, but their effectiveness would diminish with distance.
Iran has tested missiles capable of traveling farther and hitting the Middle East, the article notes. According to the source, the Iranians tried to attack the US military base in Diego Garcia, which is located in the Indian Ocean and is jointly controlled by the UK and the US, but the attack failed.
US-Iran Talks Remain Stuck
Notably, the report appears shortly after reports that negotiations between Washington and Tehran have stalled.
As the FT notes, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reached by the US and Iran in June was terminated by both parties, which accused each other of violating the deal.
Meanwhile, President Trump said Tuesday that there were no negotiations or discussions with Iran.
At the same time, however, there are signs within Iran's political and military establishment that another open confrontation with the US is possible.
No Attack Order Yet
So far, no order has been reported from Tehran to attack America's military facilities in Europe. The information given in the article is based on the statements of people close to the Iranian government, whose reliability was confirmed by the Financial Times.
However, if these plans are realized, they will allow Iran to significantly expand the theater of military operations against the US.
ALSO READ: Trump Shifts Iran Strategy Amid Hormuz Tensions, Orders Envoys To Halt Talks: Report
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