Iran has drawn up contingency plans to strike US military targets in Europe should Washington escalate the war, according to a Financial Times report that has put NATO on heightened alert.
Two people familiar with Iranian thinking told the FT that Tehran assessed attacking American assets in southeastern European countries, with Bulgaria and Cyprus identified as potential targets. The revelation comes as the nearly six-month-old conflict continues to reshape security calculations across the continent.
Bulgaria and Cyprus in the Crosshairs
Bulgaria last month approved the use of its Bezmer Air Base for US aerial refuelling operations, hosting up to eight KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft and approximately 250 military personnel. The first two aircraft arrived at the base on July 31, according to Bulgaria’s Defence Ministry, making the facility a key logistics hub for American operations in the Middle East.
Cyprus was also identified as a potential target. A British military base on the island was struck by a drone in March during a previous escalation, marking the first attack on a European-linked military installation during the current conflict. That incident demonstrated the war’s capacity to reach beyond the Middle East.
Iranian forces have also examined the possibility of attacking subsea fibre-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz, a move that could disrupt global communications infrastructure alongside military targets.
NATO Pledges Response
NATO responded swiftly to the FT report, with a senior official stating the alliance was prepared to address any threat and would do what was necessary to defend all allies. The official cited NATO’s earlier success in intercepting ballistic missiles headed toward Turkey from Iran on four separate occasions as evidence of the alliance’s deterrence posture.
As demonstrated earlier this year when NATO air defenses successfully intercepted ballistic missiles heading to Turkey from Iran on four separate occasions, our deterrence and defense posture is strong and effective.
Bulgaria has since increased security measures at Bezmer Air Base. The head of Iran’s armed forces, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, renewed warnings to Persian Gulf countries not to assist the US military, saying any such help would amount to participating in operations against Iran.
Escalation Risks
The FT report cited two regime insiders who said Iranian forces assessed striking US assets in southeastern Europe if Trump made good on previous threats to attack Iranian infrastructure. One source warned that hitting Iranian infrastructure could make the war go beyond the region and reach Europe.
The developments come as Trump has sought to intensify economic pressure on Tehran through what he called the most crushing economic operation ever, while the Strait of Hormuz remains a central point of friction. Traffic through the waterway has fallen sharply, and at least 15 ships taking the southern route have been hit by Iranian strikes since early June.
The prospect of the conflict spilling into European territory has raised alarm among EU leaders already grappling with the economic fallout of disrupted energy supplies and rising defence spending demands.
Sources: Financial Times; NATO official statement; Reuters; Bulgaria Defence Ministry; Stars and Stripes
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