Iran plans to target sites in Europe and NATO: Alliance ready to defend its members
London – Agencies: The British newspaper Financial Times revealed yesterday that Iran has considered the possibility of attacking U.S. military targets in Europe if U.S. President Donald Trump escalates the war, according to individuals close to the Iranian regime, as Tehran explores options to raise the stakes and increase the cost of the confrontation. Two insiders within the Iranian regime stated that Iranian forces have studied directing strikes against U.S. military assets in Southeast European countries, including Bulgaria, which last July agreed to allow the use of its Bezmer Air Base by U.S. refueling aircraft. One source added that Cyprus, where a British military base was attacked by a drone in March, is also among the potential targets for retaliation in the event of a new U.S. attack on Iran. The two sources said that Iranian forces have separately examined the possibility of attacking submarine fiber-optic cables extending through the Strait of Hormuz if the confrontation escalates. According to the insiders, the nature of Iran’s response will depend on the steps taken by Washington. One said the regime is preparing a plan to expand the scope of the conflict if Trump carries out his previous threats to strike Iranian infrastructure. The second source affirmed that Iran would impose “no restrictions” on its response if it were subjected to U.S. aggression, adding, “If the United States goes too far, Iran will defend itself at any cost, and will go beyond the region and also strike Europe.” Meanwhile, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) announced yesterday that its defenses intercepted ballistic missiles launched from Iran and heading toward Turkey in four previous incidents, in response to reports about Iran’s study of attacking U.S. targets in Europe. A NATO official confirmed that the alliance is ready to defend all member states against any Iranian threat, emphasizing NATO’s commitment to protecting its members and addressing any threat targeting their territories.
