TEHRAN, September 24: Iran has warned that the ongoing conflict could expand beyond the Persian Gulf and Red Sea and reach the Indian Ocean if the United States or Israel launches further attacks.
Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, issued the warning in a video released by Iran’s Fars news agency. Safavi said that as the conflict has already spread from the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz toward the Red Sea, further hostilities could push the “front” toward the Indian Ocean and potentially beyond.
Safavi, a former commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also said Iranian forces had prepared for a range of scenarios in the event of renewed US-Israeli attacks. The statement comes amid heightened tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, all strategically important waterways for global trade and energy shipments.
The warning has particular significance for India, as an expansion of the conflict toward the Indian Ocean could affect commercial shipping, energy supplies and maritime security. Analysts cited by The New Indian Express noted that disruptions along regional shipping routes could increase freight, insurance and energy costs. However, Safavi did not specify what targets or areas in the Indian Ocean Iran might seek to strike.
The latest warning adds to a series of statements from Iranian officials threatening a wider geographical response if hostilities resume, while diplomatic efforts continue amid the broader regional crisis.
