Iran is considering “exporting” the crisis to the Middle East by striking military targets in Europe if U.S. President Donald Trump escalates the war, according to the Financial Times, citing sources close to the regime.
“The proposals for retaliation against U.S. targets beyond the Middle East come at a time when many in Tehran consider a resurgence of the conflict inevitable,” the report notes.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Canadian Anne Carson Wins the Nobel Prize in Literature
A Look Back at Apollon’s International Soccer Players
As reported, Iranian military officials have evaluated options that include strikes against U.S. targets in southeastern European countries, such as Bulgaria and Cyprus, while they have also considered the possibility of sabotage, such as cutting vital undersea fiber-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz.
It should be recalled that in March, Tehran launched two ballistic missiles toward the U.S.-British base on Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean. The Israeli military responded by stating that this move proves that Tehran is capable of striking cities such as London, Paris, or Berlin.
U.S.–Iran Stalemate: Strait of Hormuz Closed, Diplomatic Talks
Stalled The revelation comes amid the deadlock between the U.S. and Iran, despite efforts by mediators such as Qatar and Pakistan. The new threats are coming to light as diplomatic negotiations remain at an impasse. U.S. President Donald Trump has instructed his negotiating team not to engage in any further discussions with Tehran until Iranian officials are ready to conclude a final agreement.
Trump insisted on Tuesday that no talks with Iran are currently taking place or planned, while Tehran reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, positions that reflect the complete deadlock in diplomatic efforts to end the war in the Middle East.
Although hostilities have greatly subsided compared to the first few weeks, when there was a barrage of airstrikes by the U.S. and Israel and Iranian retaliatory strikes, the situation remains tense in the region, as the war is about to reach its eighth month.
On Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates accused Iran of firing two ballistic missiles at them, which landed in the sea. They emphasized that the target was “international shipping.”
Following this accusation, UAE diplomats announced that all “trade” and “financial transactions” with Iran are suspended until further notice.
On the other hand, Iranian diplomats denied that Iranian missiles had been fired at the UAE and “categorically rejected” the accusations.
No Backtracking from Tehran
The Iranian authorities are not sending the slightest signal that they intend to back down.
Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf insisted on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened as long as the U.S. government fails to implement the commitmentsit undertook in the so-called Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed by the presidents of the two countries.
“The Americans think that if they put more pressure on Iran, they’ll extract concessions that were never part of the agreement,” he commented via X, but President Trump’s administration—which he described as a “bunch of clowns”—will not be able to “pull a rabbit out of a hat,” he added.
Following the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, Tehran retaliated by launching strikes against its neighbors—allies of Washington—and by closing the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important passage for global hydrocarbon trade.
The U.S., for its part, is imposing a blockade on Iranian ports in the Gulf.
Despite his unprecedented statements about the Strait of Hormuz—which he declared on Truth Social to be “new American territory”—and despite his threat on Monday to “bomb” Oman, the U.S. president appears to have chosen, at least for now, to adopt a wait-and-see approach.
Source: skai.gr
