Iran warns conflict could spread to the Indian Ocean if the United States strikes again

Iran has warned that the war could extend to the Indian Ocean if the United States carries out new bombings against the country. The warning came on Thursday from Mojtaba Khamenei, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, and marks a sharper public reference to a wider theatre of conflict. It also points to growing concern around strategic maritime routes and military sites beyond the immediate Middle East.

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The statement was linked to the wider confrontation between Tehran and Washington, which has remained tense as negotiations have stalled. According to the supplied material, talks between the two countries have been paralysed since a draft agreement was not completed. Representatives from both sides met this week on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, but no breakthrough was reported.

The adviser's warning is notable because it specifically mentioned the Indian Ocean, where the Anglo-American military base at Diego Garcia is located. The base lies about 4,000 kilometres in a straight line from Iran's coast, according to the source material. The same report also referred to the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which, before the war, nearly 20% of the world's oil passed.

The comments matter because they widen the list of pressure points in a confrontation that already involves maritime chokepoints and regional proxy conflicts. Iran has previously threatened to expand the war if Washington resumes attacks, but the supplied report says this is the first time a senior adviser has explicitly named the Indian Ocean. That makes the statement significant for military planners and for shipping routes that connect Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

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The report also places the warning in the context of Iran's support for the Houthis in Yemen. The group has recently taken control of Yemen's coast on the Red Sea, giving it leverage over Bab el-Mandeb, the narrow passage linking the Red Sea to the route toward the Suez Canal. Iran denies involvement in the new front of fighting, but the wider regional picture remains closely tied to the conflict around the Red Sea and Gulf waters.

What remains unclear is whether the warning signals a change in Iranian policy or is intended as deterrence amid stalled diplomacy. The immediate next steps will depend on whether Washington resumes strikes and whether the UN-side contacts lead to any movement in negotiations. For now, the statement adds to the risk of escalation across several strategic waterways and military sites.

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