Iran Weighs Strikes on US Targets in Europe if Trump Escalates War

Iran is reportedly contemplating retaliatory strikes against US military assets in southeastern Europe should President Donald Trump escalate the ongoing conflict, potentially broadening the war beyond the Middle East. This assessment, cited by the Financial Times, comes from individuals close to the Iranian government.

According to one source, Iranian forces have evaluated potential targets including military installations in European countries such as Bulgaria, which recently permitted US refueling aircraft to use its Bezmer air base. Cyprus has also been identified as a possible target, particularly following a drone attack on a British air base there in March. In parallel, Iran has examined the possibility of disrupting subsea fiber-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz if the conflict intensifies.

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Should the US go too far, Iran will defend itself at any price, go beyond the region and hit Europe too.

"Should the US go too far, Iran will defend itself at any price, go beyond the region and hit Europe too," one source told the Financial Times, as reported by Anadolu. This suggests Tehran is preparing a range of options to expand the conflict if Trump acts on previous threats to target Iranian infrastructure.

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NATO is prepared to address any threat and will always do what is necessary to defend all Allies.

In response to these reports, NATO declared its preparedness to address any threat. A NATO official stated, "NATO is prepared to address any threat and will always do what is necessary to defend all Allies." The statement referenced NATO's successful interception of ballistic missiles heading toward Türkiye from Iran on four occasions earlier in the year, highlighting the alliance's strong deterrence and defense posture.

The reports emerge as negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remain stalled, and prospects for renewed dialogue between Tehran and Washington appear dim. US President Trump recently stated that no talks with Tehran were scheduled or ongoing. Iranian military officials have previously warned that any military base used to launch attacks against Iran could be considered a legitimate target.

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As demonstrated earlier this year when NATO air defences successfully intercepted ballistic missiles heading to Türkiye from Iran on four separate occasions, our deterrence and defence posture is strong and effective.