Iran threatens to expand war to Indian Ocean and disrupt regional airports if US attacks

Warning over Indian Ocean expansion

A top advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned that any new military action by the United States could extend the current Middle East conflict into the Indian Ocean. Yahya Rahim Safavi made the statement in a video published on Thursday, 24 September 2026, by the Fars news agency. The statement explicitly pointed to maritime corridors extending beyond the Persian Gulf, where tensions have remained concentrated since the outbreak of hostilities on 28 February 2026 following US and Israeli strikes.

Safavi outlined the geographical widening of maritime operations across regional waterways.

Since the conflict has now spread from the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea, it is possible that in response to a potential war, this front will expand even further, to the Indian Ocean, or even beyond.

This is the first time an advisor to the Iranian supreme leader has publicly named the Indian Ocean as an operational theater. The region contains the joint US and British military base on Diego Garcia, situated roughly 4,000 kilometers from the Iranian coastline. Meanwhile, Houthi forces in Yemen have secured control over Yemen's western Red Sea coast and tightened their hold on the Bab el-Mandeb strait. Iran has long provided military support to the Houthis while denying operational involvement in this front.

Threats against regional airports and aviation

The maritime warnings follow separate threats issued by Iranian security officials targeting regional aviation infrastructure. On Wednesday, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned neighboring governments against enforcing American aviation restrictions.

If neighboring countries cooperate with the United States and halt Iranian flights, their airports will also not be able to operate.

Rezaei did not detail the exact measures Tehran would deploy to shut down regional airfields, but he cautioned regional capitals against participating in American military actions. The warning followed a September decision by the US Department of the Treasury to impose sanctions on 36 entities connected to Iran's aviation industry, alongside threats of secondary sanctions against foreign firms providing ground services to Iranian carriers.

UN diplomatic contacts and core demands

Bilateral negotiations between Iranian and American officials remain stalled following the collapse of a memorandum of understanding in July 2026. Delegations held indirect contacts in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly through Qatari mediators. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated on X that the exchange of messages lasted approximately two hours, aiming to deliver Tehran's positions without ambiguity.

Tehran presented seven conditions to resume formal diplomatic talks, including the complete lifting of economic sanctions and the unconditional release of Iranian assets frozen overseas. In an interview on Tuesday, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson Hossein Mohebi added that an end to hostilities in Yemen is also among Iran's core requirements. Prior to the war, approximately 20% of global oil shipments navigated the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran keeps closed in response to earlier airstrikes.