FT reports Iran considering strikes on US bases in Europe and Gulf cables
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Two Iranian regime officials told the Financial Times that Tehran is assessing strikes on US military targets in Bulgaria and Southern Cyprus and on undersea fiber-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz if war with Washington escalates. One official said Iran would not limit its response to the Middle East and would 'hit Europe' if the US went too far. US President Donald Trump said Tuesday there are no active or planned talks with Tehran.
Key Facts
- Bulgaria approved use of Bezmer air base for US refueling aircraft last month.
- Iranian forces have reviewed an option to attack undersea fiber-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz that carry internet, electricity and telephone traffic between Asia and Europe.
- US President Donald Trump said Tuesday there are no active or planned talks with Tehran.
- Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said last month that any base used to launch an attack on Iran would be a legitimate target.
- One Iranian official said last month's drone attack on a US base in Jordan that killed three US soldiers was 'also a message to Europe.'
European US Bases
Iran is considering attacks on US military sites in Bulgaria and Southern Cyprus, two regime officials told the Financial Times. Bulgaria approved use of Bezmer air base for US refueling aircraft last month. Southern Cyprus was struck by a drone at a British air base in March and is among possible retaliation targets, one of the officials said. The Revolutionary Guards warned last month that any base used to launch an attack on Iran would be considered a legitimate target.
Undersea Cable Option
Iranian forces have also examined an option to attack undersea fiber-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz if war intensifies, the officials said. The cables carry internet, electricity and telephone traffic between Asia and Europe. The review reflected the scale of preparation in Tehran, where officials see renewed war as a matter of time, not possibility. Negotiations over reopening the Strait of Hormuz have stalled, and Iran's leadership appointed conflict-supporting figures to top security and military posts last week.
Warnings and US Stance
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday there are no active or planned talks with Tehran. Trump said last month that Washington would destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant each time Iran targets a ship in the strait. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other military commanders warned that a new full-scale conflict would see Iran strike US military assets, energy facilities and other infrastructure beyond the Middle East. One official said last month's drone attack on a US base in Jordan that killed three US soldiers was 'also a message to Europe: it could receive missiles, so it should know where to stand in this war.'
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FT reports Iran considering strikes on US bases in Europe and Gulf cables
