Iran is weighing potential military strikes against United States assets in Europe, including sites in Bulgaria and Cyprus, alongside undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz, if President Donald Trump escalates the ongoing conflict following stalled diplomatic talks.
Expanding the Target Map Beyond the Middle East
Iranian military commanders have evaluated striking United States assets far beyond their immediate regional borders.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other military leadership have indicated that any future large-scale confrontation will not be confined to previous operational patterns. Past Iranian responses concentrated primarily on energy installations, military assets, and regional infrastructure within the Middle East. Under new contingency reviews, leadership plans to focus on more distant targets.
Two sources from the regime in Teheran revealed to the Financial Times that Iranian forces have analyzed the option of attacking US assets in the southeast of Europe. The same sources indicated that Iranian forces have also evaluated the possibility of targeting submarine fiber-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz in the event of an escalation of the conflict.
The Financial Times highlights that these threats reflect a defiant spirit in Teheran, where many members of the regime consider the resumption of the war to be a question of time. The Cuerpo de la Guardia Revolucionaria Islámica and other military commanders have warned that in any new large-scale conflict, Iran would go beyond its previous strategy—which consisted of attacking US military assets, energy installations, and other infrastructure in the Middle East—to focus on more distant targets, the daily adds.
Potential Sites in Bulgaria and Cyprus Under Scrutiny
Among the locations evaluated by Teheran are facilities in southeastern Europe. One regime source highlighted Bulgaria, which authorized the use of its Bezmer air base for American refueling aircraft last month. Another source noted that Cyprus—where a British air base was struck by a drone in March—also figures into potential reprisal options.
One of the sources added that Cyprus—where a British air base was hit by a drone last March—also figured among the possible retaliatory targets in the face of any new US offensive. Bulgaria approved the use of its Bezmer air base for US refueler planes last month.
Defense analysts consulted by the publications point out that Teheran possesses medium-range ballistic missile systems, such as the Shahab series, capable of reaching American military assets stationed across southern and southeastern Europe. According to some experts, Iran could deploy medium-range ballistic missiles—such as those of the Shahab series—against US assets in southern and southeastern Europe. In addition to aerial and land-based targets, planners have examined the viability of striking submarine fiber-optic cables located in the Strait of Hormuz during an escalation.
Stalled Diplomatic Channels and Open Warnings to London
The strategic reassessment coincides with a complete diplomatic freeze. President Donald Trump stated that no negotiations are currently underway or scheduled with Teheran amid an ongoing stalemate to conclude the war that began in February. Trump stated on Tuesday that there were no talks ongoing or scheduled with Teheran amid a stalemate in the dialogue to end the war in Iran that began last February. Within Teheran, many regime members view the resumption of active hostilities as an inevitability.
Last month, the Revolutionary Guard issued a direct warning to the United Kingdom over its provision of military bases to the United States.
Last month, the Revolutionary Guard threatened the United Kingdom due to the US use of British military bases, stating that any base used to launch an attack against Iranian territory will be considered a legitimate target.
