Tehran Warns Washington: Renewed Attacks May Expand Conflict to the Indian Ocean
Agencies2 min read
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An advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Thursday that any further attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran could lead to a geographical expansion of the conflict "up to the Indian Ocean".
Yahya Rahim Safavi said in a video clip broadcast by Fars News Agency "With the conflict now extending from the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea, it is likely that this scope will expand, in response to a possible war, up to the Indian Ocean, or perhaps even further."
On Wednesday, a senior Iranian official said that Tehran is studying the US response to its proposal to end hostilities, but there are still many differences between the Iranian and US positions amid ongoing diplomatic efforts.
The official added that reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US naval blockade on Iran were topics of discussion during indirect talks with the United States on Tuesday.
At the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Tehran will not surrender in the war with the United States, but believes in diplomacy to try to end the conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz is a focal point of tension between Iran and the United States, and it was the route for a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the war.
