Iran has raised the stakes in the Middle East conflict, warning that another US attack could push the confrontation into the Indian Ocean and potentially beyond.
Yahya Rahim Safavi, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, issued the warning on Thursday in a video published by Iran’s Fars news agency. He said the conflict had already moved across several strategic waterways and could spread further if fresh attacks occur.
According to Safavi, the fighting has expanded from the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz toward the Red Sea. He suggested that another escalation could open a new front extending into the Indian Ocean.
The warning comes amid growing tensions around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, another critical maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and wider international trade routes.
Houthi forces in Yemen have been involved in the wider regional conflict and have maintained a presence along parts of the Red Sea coastline. Iran has provided support to the Houthis over the years, although Tehran rejects claims that it is directly involved in the Yemen war.
The Strait of Hormuz has also become a major flashpoint. Iran has restricted movement through the waterway following US-Israeli strikes, putting further pressure on a route that carries a significant share of global energy shipments.
Safavi’s reference to the Indian Ocean is particularly notable because the region includes Diego Garcia, a strategically important US-British military facility located thousands of kilometres from Iran.
His comments also come as Washington and Tehran continue diplomatic contacts. Officials from both countries met in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly as efforts continued to find a possible path toward ending the conflict.
Iran has linked any potential settlement to several demands, including the removal of economic sanctions and the release of Iranian assets held overseas.
While Tehran continues to issue warnings over further military escalation, Iranian officials have also discussed conditions that could allow tensions around the Strait of Hormuz to ease. The competing military threats and diplomatic contacts have left the wider conflict at a sensitive stage.
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