Iran threatened Monday to strike U.S. military bases in Europe if countries hosting them participate in or facilitate attacks against the Islamic Republic, escalating Tehran’s warnings as tensions with Washington remain high.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said European countries had no reason to fear Iran unless they allowed their territory to be used in military action against it.
A U.S. F-16 fighter jet takes off from Bezmer Air Base in Bulgaria, July 2025
(Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jenna Bond (https://www.dvidshub.net/portfolio/1697898))
“Iran has managed to thwart all of the enemy’s plans,” Baghaei said. “There is no justification for any country to fear Iran unless those countries pave the way for the United States to attack it.”
He added that Tehran “will not allow the war to end on the aggressor’s terms.”
The warning follows previous Iranian threats against countries hosting U.S. forces. In July, Baghaei warned Bulgaria that allowing American military aircraft to use its territory in operations against Iran would make Sofia complicit in what Tehran described as aggression. Bulgaria rejected suggestions that its territory would be used for offensive operations against Iran.
Iranian officials have increasingly signaled that U.S. military assets outside the Middle East could become targets if Tehran believes they are being used in attacks against the country. Recent reports have identified southeastern Europe, including Bulgaria and Cyprus, as areas of concern because of U.S. and allied military facilities there.