Iran Weighs Military Response Amid Trump’s Threats of Direct Conflict

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump addressed reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, fielding questions about potential third-term ambitions, ongoing ceasefire discussions with Russia, and tariffs on Iran.

In the backdrop of those discussions, reports emerged that Iranian military officials are contemplating a preemptive strike on a joint U.S.-U.K. base located on Chagos Island in the Indian Ocean. The Telegraph first reported the potential attack, which appears to be aimed at deterring the U.S. from launching a military offensive against Iran.

“Like any Iranian military threat, the art is to determine what is bluster and what is real,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, when asked about Iranian threats against the U.S. base. “Deception is a propaganda tool used to bolster deterrence and prevent a conventionally weak regime from having to fight.”

Ben Taleblu emphasized that Iran’s strategy of threatening in various areas seeks to ensure it does not have to engage militarily, thereby allowing its policies to remain unchecked.

While Fox News Digital has not independently verified the reported threat against the Diego Garcia base, which is approximately 2,400 miles from Iran, analysts have raised alarms regarding Iran’s capacity to launch attacks that could threaten U.S. interests. Experts note that Iran has a “self-imposed” range of roughly 1,200 miles on its ballistic missile capabilities, but it is believed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) may be able to strike targets up to 1,800 miles away with the Khorramshahr-2 missile.

Additionally, there are concerns about the upgraded Khorramshahr-4 missile, which could potentially extend Iran’s strike range further, though its capabilities remain untested.

Tehran has a history of creatively expanding its strike options, including using commercial vessels to launch attacks. “There’s always the chance of using a foreign-procured, container-launched cruise missile from even an unconverted tanker or commercial vessel at sea,” Ben Taleblu noted, referring to Iran’s procurement of missiles from Russia and China after the Iraq War in the 1980s.

Iran also has the option of leveraging its relationships with terrorist networks to equip factions in conflict regions like Yemen, potentially facilitating strikes further into the Indian Ocean. “While all these options would make Iran’s launch platforms, especially at sea, easy targets for a counterstrike, they mean that Tehran can strike further afield than expected,” Ben Taleblu added.

In recent days, Trump has escalated his rhetoric towards Iran, warning of “direct conflict” if Tehran continues to arm the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. However, it remains uncertain how the U.S. would respond to such provocations, as a military encounter could have dire consequences for Iran, given its failures against strikes launched by Israel.

In response to the escalating tensions, Iran filed a formal complaint with the United Nations Security Council on Monday regarding Trump’s “reckless and belligerent” threats, labeling them as “a flagrant violation of international law.” Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani warned that Tehran would respond swiftly and decisively to any acts of aggression against its sovereignty.