War in the Middle East: Iran threatens to strike US bases in Europe if they are used to launch attacks
Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council warns that any base used to attack Iran will be a legitimate target.
Quick Look
- Senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezai has threatened to target American military bases, even those located in Europe, if they are used to bomb Iran.
- This declaration comes as the conflict, which began in February, remains without a diplomatic outcome.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The conflict between Iran and the United States began on February 28 following an Israeli-American offensive. The Strait of Hormuz has been blocked by Iran since the start of hostilities.
The secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezai, said Tehran would strike American bases, including in Europe, if they were used to launch attacks against the Islamic Republic.
“If American planes take off from an American military base, even one located in a European country or another remote region, to bomb Iran, we will strike those bases,” he said in an interview broadcast Wednesday on the Lebanese channel al-Mayadeen.
Iran's response to new American strikes “would target the most distant American military installations, including those that we have not yet attacked,” he assured, without further details. “We could even hit some islands that they consider to be out of range of our missiles,” added Mohsen Rezai during the meeting, which was held in Tehran.
The war between Iran and the United States was triggered on February 28 by an Israeli-American offensive on Tehran. The conflict then spread to several countries in the Middle East, notably the Gulf countries, Lebanon and Yemen. More than eight months after the start of the war, diplomatic efforts continue to try to put an end to hostilities, without visible progress.
Tehran is demanding from Washington in particular the unfreezing of its foreign assets and the lifting of sanctions in exchange for the reopening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which it has blocked since the start of the conflict. These requests were rejected by the United States.
The head of American diplomacy, Marco Rubio, ruled out a major military operation against Iran on Tuesday, echoing statements by Donald Trump deeming a resumption of strikes “unlikely”.
Open Questions
- What specific bases are targeted in Europe?
- Will there be a diplomatic response to Rezaï’s threats?
