Iran Considers Hitting US Military Targets In Europe If Trump Escalates War: Report

Iran is considering attacking US military targets in Europe if US President Donald Trump escalates the war in the Middle East, the Financial Times reported, citing sources close to the Iranian government.

According to the report, a British air base in Cyprus that was targeted by a drone in March is one of the potential targets. The attack, at the time, was the first on the British military facility and marked an escalation in the conflict.

Other countries, such as Bulgaria in southeastern Europe, which allowed 8 Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers to refuel and 250 personnel to operate from its Bezmer air base last month, were also identified as retaliation targets, the report stated.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran has decided to shift from a defensive to a "fully offensive" military posture.

This shift comes as negotiations to finalise a permanent end to the conflict and resolve disputes over control of the Strait of Hormuz have stalled.

Trump Posts Map Of Hormuz As "New US Territory"

Trump said on Tuesday that no talks with Iran are underway and none are scheduled, as he posted a map showing the Strait of Hormuz as a new American territory in a fresh jibe at Tehran.

Trump's envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner had said on Monday that the United States and Iran were having "very positive and active conversations", but the president denied that was the case.

Read | Trump Posts AI Photo Of Hormuz As "New US Territory", Says All Mines Removed

"There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.

"The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated," he added.

Meanwhile, Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, reiterated on Tuesday that Tehran plans to maintain its grip on shipping traffic until Washington meets its conditions.

"Until the United States fulfils its commitments under the agreement, including lifting the blockade, releasing frozen assets, lifting oil sanctions, ending threats and military operations on all fronts, and implementing the other conditions to which it committed, the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen," said Ghalibaf.

Is Iran Losing Control?

However, citing maritime data, CNN has reported that Tehran is increasingly losing its grip on the waterway through which nearly one-fifth of global crude and natural gas passes in peacetime. 

The US, on the other hand, has continued its blockade of the region with its navy, strengthening its grip over the region.

Data from maritime vessel-tracking platform MarineTraffic shows that at least 95 vessels passed Hormuz last week and 118 in the week before. 

Read | Why Iran Might Be Losing Its Control Over The Strait Of Hormuz

The majority (around 80 per cent) of these vessels transiting Hormuz over the past two weeks used the Omani route, which is a shipping channel authorised by the United Nations that Iran vehemently opposes, according to Kpler, which tracks shipping worldwide.

Iran, which claims the strait remains under its control, has reportedly attacked several ships that tried to bypass its choke point by travelling the waterway via the north coast of Oman. 

Despite the risks, more and more vessels are choosing to ignore Iran's demands and cross the waterway under the promise of US protection.