Iran has warned that the ongoing conflict could expand to the Indian Ocean if the United States or Israel launches another attack on the country.
Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, issued the warning on Thursday in a video released by Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency.
Safavi said the conflict had already spread from the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea, adding that a renewed attack could cause the front to expand further “to the Indian Ocean or perhaps beyond.”
He said Iran’s armed forces had prepared plans for worst-case scenarios should the United States or Israel resume attacks on Iranian facilities or national interests.
The warning marks the first time an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader has explicitly mentioned the Indian Ocean as a possible extension of the conflict. The region includes the strategic Diego Garcia military base, operated by the United States and United Kingdom, located thousands of kilometres from Iran.
Safavi also referred to the strategic connection between the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, saying that developments across those waterways could alter the geographical scope of the conflict.
Iran has backed Yemen’s Houthi movement, although Tehran denies direct involvement in the Yemen conflict. The Houthis have recently intensified fighting around the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, a key maritime route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean.
The latest warning comes amid continued tensions between Tehran and Washington. Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened retaliation against US interests if further attacks are launched, while the United States has continued to demand a resolution to the conflict.
Officials from Iran and the United States also held talks in New York this week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly as diplomatic efforts continue.
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