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Iran is considering attacking US military targets in Europe should President Trump escalate the war, according to people close to the regime.
Among the targets selected for possible attack was the Bezmer Air Base in Bulgaria, which was approved for the use of US refueling aircraft last month, insiders told the Financial Times.
Iran was also reportedly weighing attacks on the British Royal Air Base in Cyprus, which was struck by a drone last March during the first wave of fighting.
Iran could target several US military outposts in southern Europe with its medium-range ballistic missiles, but analysts have said the rockets would struggle with accuracy and power at longer distances.
Along with the air bases, Iran’s military has also considered sabotaging Europe’s underwater fiber-optic cables, which have come under attack in recent years.
“Should the US go too far, Iran will defend itself at any price, go beyond the region and hit Europe, too,” one of the people close to the regime said of the current plans.
Fears of renewed fighting in the region were stoked after the US and Iran failed to extend a 60-day cease-fire agreement, which expired on Monday, with both sides refusing to restart peace negotiations.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to extend the war beyond the Middle East, with Tehran warning the UK to keep the US military out of its air bases.
“Any base that is used to launch an attack on Iranian territory will be considered a legitimate target,” the regime said in a statement last month.
Iran has previously proved its willingness to attack distant targets during the war, with the Islamic republic firing multiple missiles extending well beyond its known reach — albeit with mixed results.
Following the initial US-Israeli bombings in late February, Tehran fired missiles at the Diego Garcia US-UK joint military base in the Indian Ocean nearly 2,500 miles away, none of which reached the target.
Iran, however, did land a hit on the UK’s air base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, located some 1,000 miles away.
English (US)