Iran warns US military bases across Middle East and Europe could face strikes

A senior Iranian security official has warned that American military bases reaching as far as Europe could become targets for deadly strikes if the United States initiates another military campaign against Iran.

Mohsen Rezaei, a key figure in Iran's security apparatus and a former commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, delivered the warning on social media platform X. He declared that any facility participating in potential aggression would be considered a legitimate objective, asserting that American personnel and installations would find no safe haven or immunity regardless of distance.

The remarks emphasize an expanded geographic scope of potential retaliation. In an interview with the Lebanon-based broadcaster Al Mayadeen, Rezaei explained that Tehran would not limit its counterattacks to nearby facilities in the Middle East. He noted that installations situated across European territory could be struck if US combat aircraft utilize them to conduct operations targeting Iran. He also pointed to distant island outposts that American planners might presume to be beyond the reach of Iranian missile systems.

Rezaei claimed that Iran's military capabilities, both offensive and defensive, have grown substantially stronger since the onset of hostilities, though he offered no independent evidence to support that assessment. While Iran has not issued a verified list of intended operational targets, hardline Iranian media outlets have previously highlighted several US and NATO facilities as vulnerable, and American defense officials earlier noted drone activity over Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

The escalating rhetoric emerges amid stalled diplomatic efforts and conflicting political signals between Tehran and Washington. Rezaei confirmed that direct discussions with the United States are not occurring, emphasizing that Iran will not relinquish its enriched uranium reserves or permit them to be shipped outside the country. A nuclear outline had reportedly been relayed through Qatari mediation, but Tehran maintains that Washington must satisfy a list of seven conditions before conflict resolution can advance.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated earlier in the week that Washington sees no current need to resume major military assaults against Iran, pointing to the economic strain imposed by ongoing American pressure. Those comments followed midterm election setbacks for the administration's party, introducing fresh domestic political considerations into the handling of the regional standoff.