Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has directed the armed forces to respond to an attack immediately, effectively, and with no geographical restriction. Defence official Manuchehr Mottaki said the next conflict "will not be a regional war." Ali Qolhaki wrote on X that expanding Iran's targets beyond the region likely meant Europe, where US forces are based.

Iran has kept a 2,000-kilometre limit on the range of its missiles, a cap that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he had imposed. The semiofficial ISNA news agency said the statement pointed to a redefinition of how far the armed forces are prepared to strike, and the Young Journalists Club said Iran's target list had been updated and its deterrence now extended "beyond the region." Analysts are divided on whether this amounts to a concrete change in policy. Jeremy Binnie said Iran has had the ability to extend its missile range beyond 2,000 km "for some time."

Kernpunkte:

• Mojtaba Khamenei directed the armed forces to be ready to respond to an attack "immediately, effectively, and with no geographical restriction."
• Manuchehr Mottaki said the next conflict "will not be a regional war."
• Ali Qolhaki wrote on X that the threat to expand Iran's targets beyond the region likely meant Europe.

Quelle: RFE/RL — English (Englisch)