Yemen Monitor / Tehran / Exclusive:
Tehran has signaled the possibility of expanding its military operations to include Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean if Washington returns to a military option against Iran. Iranian officials stated that U.S.-Iran negotiations have reached a “dead end” and placed responsibility for the impasse on President Donald Trump.
Mohsen Rezaee, military affairs adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, warned that Iran could broaden the scope of its military operations to include key strategic waterways if the US were to attack the country.
In an interview with CNN, Rezaee stated that any future confrontation would not be confined to the Persian Gulf. Instead, he said, the conflict could extend across a vast maritime area stretching from the Strait of Hormuz through the Indian Ocean, Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and even the Mediterranean Sea.
In a direct warning to the U.S. administration, Rezaee asserted that a renewed war would prompt Iran to target additional American military bases that had not previously been attacked. Despite his escalating rhetoric, he maintained that the likelihood of a new large-scale war remains “low” at present.
Addressing the issue of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Rezaee reiterated Iran’s position that Tehran and Oman share sovereignty and joint management responsibilities over the waterway. He defended proposals to impose fees on vessels passing through the strait, arguing that such charges would cover management and maintenance costs rather than serve as transit tolls.
Regarding the possibility of a direct ground invasion of Iran, Rezaee insisted that the country is fully prepared for such a scenario. He claimed that the world would then discover Iran’s “true capabilities,” adding that its ground forces are many times stronger than its widely known missile capabilities.
Assessing Iran’s most recent military confrontation with the US and Israel, Rezaee described it as the Islamic Republic’s “first real military victory” since its establishment 47 years ago. He claimed that Iran had historically emerged defeated from previous wars but had achieved victory in this latest confrontation.
The Iranian threat to involve the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea in any direct conflict with Washington aligns with Tehran’s broader strategy of leveraging regional allies and partners, particularly the Houthi Movement in Yemen. The statement reflects Iran’s effort to demonstrate its influence over critical maritime routes near Yemen and to present these waterways as strategic political and military pressure points in dealings with the Trump administration.
