What happened
Iran has threatened to expand its target set to include digital infrastructure, energy sites, and military assets in Europe if the US launches an attack. Experts say that Tehran may view European bases as legitimate targets due to their support for US operations against Iran. The Islamic Republic has warned that any country facilitating US attacks will expose itself to Iranian counterattacks.
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has instructed military commanders to drop any geographical limitations to their retaliatory strike plans. Iranian media has suggested that Tehran possesses missiles that can reach as far as the UK. Experts believe that Iran could work through proxies like Iraqi militias and Lebanese Hezbollah to launch attacks on Europe.
European countries such as Germany, Italy, Portugal, and the UK have allowed US bases hosted on their soil to be used for operations against Iran, making them potential targets for Iranian counterattacks. The threat of Iranian strikes on Europe is meant to deter a US attack, but it could also fail if not backfire, as it could lead to the direct entry of America's Western allies into the war.
