TLDR
- Iran is considering attacking US military targets in Europe if Trump escalates the conflict
- Bulgaria and Cyprus are among potential targets, including the Bezmer airbase
- Iran has also assessed targeting subsea fibre-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz
- Negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz have stalled, with Trump saying no talks are scheduled
- Experts say the threat to Europe is “real, but limited” due to missile range and accuracy constraints
Iran is weighing strikes on US military targets in Europe if President Donald Trump escalates the war, according to two regime insiders who spoke to the Financial Times.
BREAKING: Iran has weighed attacking US Military targets in Europe should President Trump escalate the war, per FT.
Details include:
1. Iranian forces have reportedly assessed striking US assets in south-eastern European countries such as Bulgaria
2. Cyprus, where a British…
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) August 19, 2026
The insiders say Iranian forces have assessed hitting US assets in southeastern Europe, including Bulgaria, which recently approved the use of its Bezmer airbase for refuelling US aircraft.
Cyprus is also on the list of potential targets. A British airbase there was struck by a drone in March, which Western officials said was likely an Iranian drone fired by proxy forces.
Strait of Hormuz Tensions
Iranian forces have also examined attacking subsea fibre-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz if the conflict escalates further.
🇺🇸🇮🇷 Iran is considering attacks on US military assets in Bulgaria and Cyprus if Washington escalates.
Tehran has also examined targeting subsea fibre-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials increasingly view renewed conflict as inevitable and warn that attacks… pic.twitter.com/N5aWcFq6bG
— Europa.com (@europa) August 19, 2026
Negotiations to reopen the strait have stalled. Trump said on Tuesday there are “no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled” with Tehran.
A June agreement between the US and Iran collapsed last month after Tehran attacked vessels in the strait. Both sides accused each other of violating the deal, leading to rounds of strikes and a renewed US blockade on Iranian ports.
Trump has said Washington would destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant every time Iran targets a ship in the strait.
Iran’s Stated Position
One insider said Iran would place “no limits” on its response if the US acts aggressively. “Should the US go too far, Iran will defend itself at any price, go beyond the region and hit Europe too,” they said.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has already warned that any base used to attack Iranian territory would be considered a legitimate target. That warning was directed at the UK over American use of British military bases.
Iran has shown it can hit distant targets. Earlier this year, Tehran fired multiple missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean roughly 4,000km away. None reached their target.
Turkey said in March that NATO’s air defences intercepted several ballistic missiles launched from Iran.
Sidharth Kaushal, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said the threat to Europe is “real, but limited.” Iran could use medium-range ballistic missiles against US assets in southeastern Europe, but accuracy and payload drop off at longer ranges.
Douglas Barrie at the International Institute for Strategic Studies said Iran has weapons with ranges above 2,000km, but noted the risk of failure or interception.
Iran’s supreme leader last week elevated hardliners to top security and military posts. Mohsen Rezaei, a former Guards commander, was appointed as the country’s top security official, a move analysts say signals a shift away from negotiations.
Many within the regime believe the US cannot be trusted to honour any deal, and that Iran must raise the cost of conflict to force Washington to meet its obligations.
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