Iran warns it would strike US bases in Europe if used for attacks on Tehran

Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei has warned that Tehran would target US bases in Europe if they were used to launch attacks against Iran. He made the remarks in an interview broadcast on Wednesday, saying that any American aircraft taking off from a US military base in a European country or another distant region to bomb Iran would put those bases at risk. The warning extends Iran's threat posture beyond the Middle East and directly links any response to the location from which an attack might be launched.

Rezaei also said Iran's response to renewed US strikes would target what he described as America's more distant military installations, including sites it has not yet attacked. He did not specify which bases or islands he had in mind. His comments were delivered in Tehran and were framed as a warning against any further bombing raids on the Islamic republic.

The statement comes amid continuing tensions after earlier US-Israeli strikes and renewed concern over the possibility of further American action. The supporting material says the wider conflict began on 28 February with US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It also says Iran responded with missiles and drones against countries across the region that host US military assets, while allied armed groups in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq entered the conflict.

The warning is significant because it broadens the potential geographic scope of any retaliation and places Europe-based US facilities within the frame of the dispute. That raises the stakes for European governments that host American forces, even though no specific country or base was named. It also comes as diplomatic efforts led by Qatar and Pakistan are reported to be under way to try to end the war.

The same material says Tehran is demanding that Washington accept a set of conditions, including unfreezing assets and lifting sanctions, in return for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. That waterway is described as a vital energy route and has been blockaded since the start of the conflict. On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was no need to attack Iran again, citing what he described as successful efforts to undermine its economy.

It remains unclear whether the warning reflects an immediate operational threat or a broader deterrent message. No specific target, timeline or military plan was given, and the comments were conditional on US bases being used for attacks on Iran. What happens next will depend on whether Washington resumes strikes, how Tehran interprets any military movement, and whether the current diplomatic efforts can reduce the risk of escalation.

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