Iran vows to strike European bases, including in Italy, if US strikes from them

Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of Iran's parliamentary security committee, told Euronews on Wednesday that Iran would fire missiles at any European military base used by the United States to strike Iranian targets. The threat specifically named Italy and Germany as potential targets, marking an explicit escalation in Tehran's rhetoric toward NATO allies hosting US forces. State-run Iranian media characterised any new confrontation as capable of reaching 'the heart of Europe', according to Euronews.

The statement reflects rising tensions in the wider Middle East conflict and its potential spillover into European territory. Italy hosts US military assets at bases including Aviano in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and other facilities across the peninsula. For Sicily, which lies closer to North African and Middle Eastern shipping lanes and airspace, the threat adds another layer to the island's already complex position as Europe's southern frontier and a hub for Mediterranean security operations.