Iran Considered Strikes on European Targets, Including Cyprus and Bulgaria

Iran has reportedly explored the possibility of launching attacks against military installations in at least two European nations, according to sources. Among the potential targets considered were the Bezmer air base in Bulgaria, used by the U.S. for refueling aircraft, and a British military air base in Cyprus.

Beyond striking conventional targets, Tehran is also said to have considered disrupting critical undersea fiber optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz. This move would aim to cripple global communication and financial networks. Sources warn that in the event of a new conflict, Iran could extend its retaliatory strikes beyond the Middle East, with one source stating, "If the U.S. goes too far, Iran will defend itself at any cost, go beyond the region and strike Europe."

This reported consideration of international targets follows previous alleged attempts by Iran to strike distant locations. In February, the U.S. reported a missile launch directed at the military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, and in March, Turkey announced it had intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles. These incidents suggest a pattern of Iran exploring capabilities for long-range strikes.

The Wall Street Journal, citing Iranian and Arab officials, reports that Tehran has already formulated an action plan in anticipation of escalating conflicts in the Middle East. The newspaper's sources indicate that Iran views a memorandum signed with the U.S. in June as an attempt by Washington and Israel to gain time before a new attack. Over the past two months, Iran has reportedly been preparing for a potential expansion of the war, bolstering the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' control over the regular army, appointing veterans of the Iran-Iraq war to key positions, expanding counter-intelligence operations, and increasing the production of missiles and drones.