Iranian officials have reportedly examined potential attacks on U.S. military assets in Bulgaria and Cyprus, as well as subsea communications infrastructure near the Strait of Hormuz, if Washington launches another major offensive.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Iran has reportedly considered expanding its military response beyond the Middle East by targeting American military assets in southeastern Europe if President Donald Trump orders a new escalation against Tehran.
Two Iranian regime insiders told the Financial Times that Iranian forces have assessed possible strikes against U.S. facilities or forces in Europe, including potential targets in Bulgaria.
Cyprus has also been examined as a possible location for retaliation in the event of another American offensive, according to the report.
The discussions do not establish that Iran has made a final decision to attack targets in Europe. They indicate, however, that Tehran is evaluating options that could significantly broaden the geographic scope of the conflict if fighting intensifies.
One regime insider told the Financial Times that Iran’s response would depend on Washington’s actions and warned Tehran would place “no limits” on its retaliation to what it viewed as U.S. aggression.
The reported planning comes as diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran remain stalled.
Trump said Tuesday that there were “no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled” with Iran while negotiations concerning the Strait of Hormuz remained unresolved.
Bulgaria Emerges as Potential Flashpoint
Iran’s reported attention to Bulgaria follows that country’s decision to allow U.S. military aircraft and personnel to operate from Bezmer Air Base.
Bulgaria’s parliament approved the deployment of as many as eight U.S. KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft and up to 250 American military personnel through Oct. 1 in support of U.S. operations in the Middle East, according to the Bulgarian parliament’s official record.
Iranian officials have already publicly objected to the arrangement.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged Sofia last month to reconsider allowing American military aircraft to use Bulgarian territory, accusing the country of helping facilitate U.S. military operations against Iran.
The Financial Times report now suggests Iranian commanders have gone beyond public warnings and examined American assets in Bulgaria as potential military targets.
Because Bulgaria is a NATO member, any Iranian strike on U.S. forces operating from Bulgarian territory could significantly widen the political and military consequences of the war.
The report does not indicate that Tehran has authorized such an attack.
Cyprus Also Reportedly Examined
Iranian planners have also considered Cyprus as a possible retaliatory target if the United States launches another major offensive, according to the Financial Times.
The report did not specify which installations or assets in Cyprus were under consideration.
The inclusion of both Bulgaria and Cyprus indicates that Iranian military planners may be evaluating targets outside the immediate Persian Gulf and broader Middle East theater.
Such an expansion would represent a major change in the conflict, potentially exposing U.S. military operations in Europe to direct Iranian retaliation.
Subsea Communications Could Also Be Targeted
Iranian commanders have reportedly examined another form of retaliation involving subsea fiber-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz.
Those cables carry communications through the region and could become targets if hostilities intensify, according to the Financial Times.
The reported option would allow Tehran to threaten infrastructure beyond traditional military targets.
Iran’s control and influence around the Strait of Hormuz have already become central issues in the conflict, with negotiations over reopening and securing the waterway remaining unresolved.
Trump’s statement Tuesday that no talks are currently underway underscores how far apart the two governments remain.
Tehran Strengthens Hard-Line Security Leadership
The reported consideration of attacks in Europe follows broader changes within Iran’s military and security establishment.
The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that Tehran has increased missile and drone production, expanded the influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps over Iran’s conventional military and prepared allied militias for the possibility of a wider conflict.
Iran has also taken steps toward a more aggressive military posture as hard-line figures gain greater influence over security policy.
Those preparations suggest Tehran is attempting to rebuild and strengthen its ability to retaliate despite damage sustained during previous U.S. and Israeli attacks.
The possibility of strikes against European targets would fit within that broader effort to create additional options for retaliation if the war enters another phase.
Analysts See Limits to Iran’s Reach
Iran’s ability to conduct effective long-range strikes against Europe is not unlimited.
Sidharth Kaushal of London’s Royal United Services Institute told the Financial Times that Iran’s missile threat to European targets is “real, but limited.”
Longer-range missile attacks generally require trade-offs in payload and accuracy, Kaushal said.
That could constrain Tehran’s ability to carry out precise or heavily destructive strikes at greater distances.
Nevertheless, the reported Iranian planning demonstrates that Tehran is considering scenarios in which retaliation would no longer be confined to the Middle East.
The threat is particularly significant because U.S. forces operate from multiple facilities throughout Europe, including locations that support American operations farther south and east.
Risk of a Wider Conflict Grows
Iran has not publicly announced plans to strike American forces in Bulgaria, Cyprus or elsewhere in Europe.
The Financial Times report instead describes internal consideration of such options if Washington escalates the war.
That distinction leaves the extent of Tehran’s intent uncertain.
Still, the combination of increased missile and drone production, stronger Revolutionary Guard influence, preparation of allied militias and reported examination of targets outside the Middle East suggests Iran is preparing for a range of possible responses.
For the Trump administration, the reported planning raises the possibility that another major offensive against Iran could expose American forces stationed well beyond the immediate conflict zone.
For European governments hosting U.S. personnel or aircraft, it introduces a separate security concern: whether their territory could become part of Iran’s retaliatory calculus.
As negotiations remain frozen and Tehran warns that its response to another U.S. offensive could have “no limits,” the conflict carries a growing risk of spreading beyond the Middle East and drawing American military assets on European soil into the confrontation.
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