Iran threatens to expand war to Indian Ocean
TEHRAN: An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned on Thursday that Tehran may expand the Middle East war to the Indian Ocean if the US attacks again. “Since the conflict has spread from the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea, it is possible that, in response to more war, the front will expand even further, reaching the Indian Ocean and perhaps beyond,” said Yahya…
Tehran's adviser to Supreme Leader Khamenei has cautioned that Iran may extend the Middle East conflict to the Indian Ocean if the US escalates hostilities again. In a video released by Fars news agency, Yahya Rahim Safavi suggested that the war's front could expand to the Indian Ocean and possibly beyond following further US aggression.
The recent Houthi takeover of the Red Sea coastline, which controls the Bab al-Mandab Strait linking Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal, has raised concerns. Though Iran supports the Houthis militarily, it denies direct involvement in the Yemen conflict. Iran has also sealed the Strait of Hormuz in response to US-Israeli strikes that sparked the war in February.
Both Iran and the US are now competing for control of Hormuz, a crucial route for global oil and gas trade. Iranian officials have previously warned of a broader conflict if US strikes continue. However, Rahim Safavi's explicit mention of the Indian Ocean as a potential conflict zone marks a significant shift. The Indian Ocean is home to a US-British military base at Diego Garcia, located about 4,000 kilometers from Iran.
Recent UN General Assembly talks between Iran and US officials aimed at resolving the conflict, with Iran demanding the lifting of sanctions and the release of frozen assets. Iranian Revolutionary Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebi also mentioned the possibility of ending the war in Yemen.
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