Iran warns war could reach Indian Ocean if US attacks again
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New Delhi: Iran has warned that the ongoing conflict could expand to the Indian Ocean if the United States or Israel launches further attacks on the country.
Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, issued the warning on Thursday, saying the conflict had already spread from the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea and could widen further.
“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,” Safavi said in a video released by Iran’s Fars news agency.
Safavi said the geographical links between the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb could alter the geography of the conflict.
He also warned that a new front could emerge around the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if the US launches another attack. Safavi said Iran’s armed forces had prepared plans for worst-case scenarios, but did not specify potential targets.
The Indian Ocean is the world’s third-largest ocean, covering about 20 per cent of the Earth’s water surface. It is bordered by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east, and contains major maritime routes connecting the Middle East, South Asia and Africa.
The warning came as Iran and the US continued diplomatic contacts in New York on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
US and Iranian representatives held talks through mediators earlier this week as diplomatic efforts continued to end the conflict and resolve the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in his UN address that Tehran remained committed to diplomacy but rejected negotiations conducted under threats or pressure.
Iran has also conveyed conditions for ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz through mediators, including demands concerning sanctions and frozen Iranian assets.
US officials have continued to discuss diplomacy while maintaining that military options remain available.