Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei has threatened to strike US bases beyond the Middle East, including in Europe, if they are used for attacks against the Islamic republic.
Iran’s nuclear programme — and its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60 percent, close to the 90 percent threshold needed for an atomic bomb — has been at the centre of tensions for years.
The US Justice Department on Tuesday announced charges against three men it described as “Iranian operatives”, including one already in jail, over their roles in the affair. The US and Israel have repeatedly cited Iran’s nuclear programme as part of their justification for the war, but Rezaei said during Wednesday’s interview that the nuclear issue was “not currently” part of the talks.
The ocean is home to a strategic US-British military base at Diego Garcia, nearly 4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles) from Iran, which fired two missiles towards the installation in March. And Washington has appeared to dial back threats of renewed strikes after the defeat of President Donald Trump’s Republican party in recent midterm elections, in part due to the unpopularity of the war on Iran.
One fell short, while the other was intercepted, Britain said at the time. On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was no need to attack Iran again, citing what he described as successful efforts to undermine its economy.
