Iran considers strikes on US military facilities in Europe - FT

Iranian military are considering the possibility of strikes on American facilities in Europe if the US expands military actions against Iran. This is reported by Financial Times citing two interlocutors close to the Iranian regime.

According to them, among the potential targets were assessed American military facilities in Southeast European countries. In particular, it mentioned Bulgaria, which last month allowed the use of the Bezmer air base for American refueling aircraft.

One FT interlocutor also named Cyprus, where the British air base Akrotiri is located. In March, this facility was already attacked by a drone, involvement in which Western officials linked to pro-Iranian forces in the region.

In addition, according to the publication, Iranian military analyzed the possibility of attacks on submarine fiber-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz in case of further escalation.

The interlocutors stressed that the scale of the possible response will depend on Washington's actions. One of them said that if the US strikes Iranian infrastructure, Tehran may expand the geography of the conflict beyond the Middle East.

Expert of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies Sidharth Kaushal noted to FT that Iran is technically capable of using medium-range ballistic missiles against targets in southern and southeastern Europe. At the same time, at long distances their accuracy and ability to cause significant damage decrease.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said that negotiations with Iran are currently not underway and not planned. According to FT information, diplomatic efforts to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and return to broader negotiations have not yet yielded results.