Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, has warned that Tehran would expand its retaliation beyond the Middle East if the United States launches another attack on Iranian territory. In an interview with Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen television broadcast on November 11, Rezaei said Iran would not limit its response to American military installations in neighboring countries. He specifically threatened U.S. bases in European countries, arguing that any facility used to launch aircraft against Iran could become a target. “If American aircraft take off from an American military base, even one located in a European country or some other distant region, to bomb Iran, we will strike those bases as well,” he declared. Rezaei also warned that Iran could target islands that American officials might consider beyond the reach of its missiles, although he did not identify any specific locations. His remarks represent a broader threat of geographic escalation, potentially placing countries hosting American military facilities under greater pressure if another confrontation begins.

The warning comes amid an ongoing conflict between Washington and Tehran, with diplomatic efforts continuing alongside economic pressure and the threat of renewed military action. Rezaei also rejected reports of current negotiations with the United States, claiming that Tehran was not holding direct talks and that reports of a possible meeting with American officials were false. His comments follow Iran’s recent statements about expanding the potential range of its missile operations, although the actual reach of its arsenal remains a significant question. Open-source assessments have generally placed the range of Iran’s principal ballistic missiles at around 2,000 kilometers, with some variants potentially reaching farther, making claims about striking distant locations difficult to assess without additional technical evidence. Rezaei did not explicitly name Diego Garcia, the remote Indian Ocean island hosting a joint U.S.-British military facility, and any suggestion that it was the specific location he had in mind remains unconfirmed. The statement nevertheless underscores Tehran’s willingness to threaten American installations well beyond the immediate region if U.S. forces carry out further strikes against Iran.