Senior Iranian adviser says renewed US attacks could widen conflict beyond current fronts.
Iran has issued a new warning over the geographic scope of the Middle East conflict, saying renewed US military action could push hostilities toward the Indian Ocean as diplomatic efforts continue in New York.
Iranian Adviser Warns of Indian Ocean Expansion
Yahya Rahim Safavi, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said on September 24 that Iran could expand the conflict toward the Indian Ocean if the United States attacks again. In a video released by Iran’s Fars news agency, Safavi said the fighting had already extended from the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea and could spread farther if hostilities intensify.
Warning Marks First Explicit Indian Ocean Reference
Iranian officials had previously warned that renewed US attacks could broaden the geographic scope of the war, but the September 24 statement was the first time an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader explicitly mentioned the Indian Ocean. The region includes Diego Garcia, the strategic US-British military base located nearly 4,000 kilometers from Iran.
Conflict Already Extends Across Key Sea Routes
The warning comes as the conflict has spread across several important maritime areas. Iran has locked down the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes that triggered the current conflict at the end of February, while Yemen’s Houthis have recently taken control of the Red Sea coastline, tightening their grip on the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. Iran has long provided military support to the Houthis but denies involvement in Yemen’s conflict.
Hormuz Remains Central to US-Iran Confrontation
Iran and the United States are vying for control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which much of the world’s oil and gas passed before the war. The waterway remains a key point of confrontation between the two countries as the conflict continues.
Diplomatic Talks Continue Despite Threats
Officials from Iran and the United States held talks in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week in another attempt to end the conflict. Iran has put forward conditions for ending the war, including the lifting of sanctions targeting its economy and the unconditional release of its frozen assets abroad. A Revolutionary Guards spokesman also mentioned ending the war in Yemen earlier in the week.
Iran’s warning adds the Indian Ocean to the areas Tehran says could become involved if US military strikes resume, even as diplomatic discussions continue. No direct action involving Indonesia or Singapore was reported in the two reports, but an expansion toward the Indian Ocean would place the conflict closer to maritime routes connecting Asian economies with the Middle East and Europe.
Sources: Straits Times (2026) , CNA (2026)
Keywords: Iran US Conflict, Indian Ocean Threat, Strait Of Hormuz, Middle East War, Diego Garcia, US Iran Talks
