Peloni: It looks like attacks on US in Europe is to be the latest cudgel that Iran uses to leverage against the return to war. Will it work? I don’t think so.
Regime preparing to resume ballistic missile strikes on Israel, in event of renewed hostilities
All Israel News Staff | Published: August 19, 2026
Image by Wildmavboy1229 – Own work, CC0, Link
Iran is weighing an attack on U.S. military facilities in Europe if President Donald Trump orders an escalation in military operations, the Financial Times reported.
Citing two regime insiders, the Times report identified Bulgaria and Cyprus as possible targets of such attacks.
One of the regime insiders referred to the previous drone attack on a British air base in Cyprus as proof of Tehran’s ability to carry out such attacks.
Additionally, the insiders told the Times that regime forces have also considered attacking subsea fiber-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz, should an escalation occur.
The Times report comes alongside other reports, indicating that Islamic Republic leaders consider the resumption of hostilities to be a matter of when, not if.
Despite European assessments that Iran would struggle to launch successful ballistic missile attacks, one of the insiders pointed to the successful targeting of U.S. bases in Jordan in July, as proof of Iranian forces’ ability to conduct precise long-range attacks. That attack resulted in the deaths of three U.S. service members.
“This was also a message to Europe: it can receive missiles, so it should know where it should stand in this war,” one of the insiders told FT. “A very big mistake, such as hitting our infrastructure, could make the war go beyond the region and reach Europe.”
“Should the US go too far, Iran will defend itself at any price, go beyond the region and hit Europe too,” the other insider told FT.
During the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched several ballistic missiles towards the joint U.S.-U.K. military base at Diego Garcia, around 4,000 km (approximately 2,500 miles) from Iran.
While those missiles failed to hit any targets, the launches proved that Iran has missiles capable of reaching Europe.
While the Iranian regime suffered significant damage from the U.S.-Israeli bombing operations and would likely prefer not to directly engage U.S. forces, the threats could be an attempt to increase Western pressure on the U.S. to avoid escalation.
European countries have resisted calls from the U.S. to participate in the military action against Iran, refusing even to commit military vessels to help secure the Strait of Hormuz until after an agreement has been reached between the U.S. and the Iranian regime.
The 60-day Memorandum of Understanding, signed in Islamabad in June, expired Monday without any agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which was closed due to Iranian attacks on shipping vessels following the start of the U.S.-Israeli military operations.
On Tuesday, despite previously claiming that the U.S. was conducting talks with the Iranians, President Trump reversed course, saying there are “no talks or conversations going on or scheduled” with the Iranian regime.
The IRGC has warned that in the event of a return to full-scale conflict, it would also resume attacks on U.S. military located in the region, as well as attacking farther afield.
The targeting of U.S. personnel in the area is also causing the Pentagon to re-examine its military deployment in the Middle East, including the possibility of reducing U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf, the Washington Post reported.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military is continuing to build up its capabilities in preparation for renewed hostilities with the Islamic Republic. The Israel Air Force is scheduled to receive another KC-46 refueling plane (known in Hebrew as Gideon) in the coming days.
The aircraft, manufactured by Boeing, will replace older craft, almost doubling the flying time and increasing the refueling speed. Refueling aircraft were crucial to the IAF’s ability to fly multiple sorties over Iran during Operation Roaring Lion, and the arrival of the new refueling aircraft will further improve that capability.
At the same time, a security source told Channel 12 News that Iran has also been preparing for renewed attacks on Israel. In particular, the country has used the ceasefire to try to rehabilitate its ballistic missile program, the source said.
The source said that Iran is estimated to have around 1,000 missiles capable of reaching Israel, although the number of launchers is not known. Israel and the U.S. targeted launchers and missile facilities during the war; however, the regime has been working to repair damages and procure new launchers.
The source also indicated that Iran will likely pressure the Houthis to close off the Bab el-Mandeb Strait early on in any resumption of hostilities, in order to increase economic pressure on the West.
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