Iran top security official warned it would strike US bases beyond the Gulf, including in Europe, if United States air strikes resume. The warning from Mohsen Rezaei came as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz kept rising, with tanker attacks continuing and the diplomacy in Abu Dhabi producing no ceasefire.
Why it matters
The Revolutionary Guards said two oil tankers were disabled by explosions in the strait, and Iran says it struck navigation systems on an Omani island that helps guide ships through the channel. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly moved to a military base after the Iranian threats, and Israel security cabinet has reportedly ordered stepped up attack preparations.
The warning widens the geography of the crisis. Until now the confrontation has centred on the Gulf, where the tankers were hit and the shipping has nearly stopped. A threat that reaches bases in Europe would put American forces across a much wider area on alert, and it raises the stakes for any decision to resume air strikes.
What happens next
President Trump addressed the war during a Veterans Day address, saying it will end when we want to end it. The remark signals direct American control over the timeline, but it does not answer the question of what happens if Iran carries out its threat or if another tanker is hit.
For now, the two sides are talking past each other. The Abu Dhabi talks produced a prisoner exchange but no ceasefire, and the envoys have moved on to Moscow. Until the strikes in the strait stop, the warnings will keep coming and the risk of a wider war will keep growing.
The escalation has been building for months. On February 28, Trump announced major combat operations against Iran, and on November 10 indictments were announced in New York against three alleged Iran backed plotters. On November 11, the move of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to a military base was reported, Trump spoke at Arlington, and Iran warned of strikes on bases beyond the Gulf. On November 12, the Revolutionary Guards said two tankers were disabled in Hormuz and Israel reportedly readied for a possible attack. Each step has raised the stakes, and the warnings are now coming from both sides at once.
