- Iran’s adviser warned war could expand to Indian Ocean.
- Expansion warning follows conflict spread from Gulf to Red Sea.
- Iran demands sanctions lifted, frozen assets freed.
An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has warned that Tehran could expand the ongoing Middle East war to the Indian Ocean if the US or Israel launches another attack.
Yahya Rahim Safavi, an adviser to Khamenei, issued the warning in a video released by Iran’s Fars news agency on Thursday.
“Since the conflict has spread from the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea, it is possible that, in response to more war, the front will expand even further, reaching the Indian Ocean and perhaps beyond,” Safavi said.
Iran Warns Of Wider Conflict
Yemen’s Houthis, who are fighting Saudi-backed government forces, recently took control of the Red Sea coastline, tightening their grip on the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, which links Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal.
Iran has long provided military support to the Houthis but denies any involvement in the Yemen conflict.
The Islamic Republic has also locked down the Strait of Hormuz off the Iranian coast in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes that triggered the Middle East war at the end of February.
Iran and the United States are now vying for control of Hormuz, through which much of the world’s oil and gas passed before the war.
Indian Ocean Mentioned In Fresh Warning
Iranian officials had already threatened to expand the geographic scope of the conflict if US strikes resume.
However, Thursday’s warning is the first time an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader has explicitly mentioned the Indian Ocean. The region is home to a strategic US-British military base at Diego Garcia, nearly 4,000 kilometres from Iran.
Iran, US Hold Talks At UNGA
Officials from Iran and the United States held talks in New York this week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in a further attempt to end the conflict.
Iran has put forward its conditions for ending the war, including the lifting of sanctions targeting its economy and the unconditional release of its frozen assets abroad.
In an exclusive interview with AFP on Tuesday, Revolutionary Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebi also mentioned ending the war in Yemen.
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