Iran threatens US and Israel with expanding scope of war ‘as far as the the Indian ocean’

The military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Yahya Rahim Safavi, issued a warning on Thursday regarding the potential renewal of war against Iran, threatening to expand the conflict’s geographical reach by “as far as the the Indian ocean”.

In a video broadcast by the Fars News Agency, Safavi stated: “Our armed forces are planning intelligently and have programs in place for the worst-case scenarios. We possess the necessary combat readiness to confront the enemy. If the United States and Israel attack our facilities and national interests again in any form, the war front will expand this time as well.”

He added: “With the conflict now stretching from the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea, this scope could potentially broaden in response to a possible war—reaching as far as the Indian Ocean, or perhaps even beyond.”

Regarding the tactical leverage his country holds, Safavi remarked: “I believe linking territorial waters and the Red Sea to the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab will alter the battlefield. If the Americans initiate a new war, a new front centered around the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab could open up before them.”

Alliance with Yemen’s Huthis and strategic waterways

Safavi further noted that “We and the Yemenis share a common destiny and defend one another; a threat to Yemen is a threat to Iran.” He added that “Ansar Allah [the Huthis] have their own goals and strategy and have made advancements in arms manufacturing.”

The military adviser reaffirmed that Iran will maintain control and management over the Strait of Hormuz. He pointed out that Tehran had reached a mechanism with Muscat (Oman) regarding maritime traffic through the strait, but alleged that “the United States is obstructing it.”

Safavi concluded: “If Washington implements our seven proposed conditions, I believe Iranian officials can consider ship transit mechanisms through the Strait of Hormuz differently. We seek to keep war away from our nation, but if war is forced upon us, we are fully prepared for comprehensive defense.”

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