Iran threatens to open new fronts if US and Israel launch attack

Iran has issued a warning that it could open new strategic fronts if the United States and Israel take military action against its territory, including its islands, or attempt to exert pressure through naval operations.

According to CNN, citing sources, an Iranian military official said Tehran is prepared to escalate beyond its immediate region. The official specifically pointed to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as a potential theatre of operations in the event of a confrontation.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, particularly for the transit of oil and natural gas.

“If the enemy undertakes any ground action on Iranian islands or any other part of our territory, or attempts to harm Iran using naval forces in the Persian Gulf or the Sea of Oman, we will open other fronts as a ‘surprise strike,’” the source said, according to the Iranian news agency Tasnim.

The same source, speaking to Tasnim, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, emphasised that Iran possesses both the capability and the resolve to create a tangible threat in the Bab el-Mandeb area if tensions escalate further.

“If the Americans intend to take reckless actions regarding the Strait of Hormuz, they should be careful not to add another strait to their list of problems,” the source added.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait handles roughly 12% of global seaborne oil shipments each year, along with a substantial share of liquefied natural gas, underscoring its strategic importance to global energy markets.

Separately, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that intelligence reports suggest “enemies” are preparing to seize one of Iran’s islands with the backing of a regional country, though he did not identify the state.

“Our forces are monitoring all enemy movements, and if they take any step, all vital infrastructure of that regional state will be targeted with continuous, relentless attacks,” Ghalibaf said in a post on X but without naming the state.

By Tamilla Hasanova