Safavi: US Attack on Iran Could Trigger 'New Front' Spanning Gulf to Red Sea

Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, the Assistant and Senior Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, has introduced a new amendment to the strategic defense authorization. He affirmed on Thursday that any new US or "Israeli" attack on Iran would lead to the expansion of the war and the opening of a new front. From this procedural standpoint, the General emphasized that security arrangements in the Persian Gulf and West Asia would not be effective without Iran's presence. Safavi stated that the Iranian Armed Forces have prepared plans for worst-case scenarios.

The General provided specific details regarding the potential scope of this new front. In an interview with the Sacred Defense News Agency, Safavi explained that, should a new confrontation erupt, the war front could extend from the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea. It would subsequently stretch to the Indian Ocean and other regions. Safavi noted that linking the Gulf with the Red Sea and the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab would alter the theater of war.

The General pointed to specific strategic choke points that would alter the battlefield dynamics. He noted the possibility of a new front opening around the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab. Safavi emphasized that Iran would continue to control and manage the Strait of Hormuz. He explained that Tehran had reached a mechanism with the Sultanate of Oman concerning navigation in the strait. However, he noted that the United States is obstructing its implementation.