Iran warns of missile strikes on European bases, naming Italy

Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of Iran's parliamentary security committee, told Euronews on Wednesday that Iranian missiles would strike European bases if the United States deployed them for operations against Iran. He specifically named Italy and Germany as targets, according to the outlet. The warning came amid escalating rhetoric from Tehran over American military posture in Europe and follows weeks of rising tension between Iran and Western powers over nuclear and regional issues.

Italy hosts significant NATO and US military infrastructure, including air bases and naval facilities that are central to US operations across the Mediterranean and Middle East. The explicit naming of Italian territory in Iranian threats marks a direct challenge to Rome's role as a NATO member and underscores the continent's exposure to Middle Eastern conflict dynamics. Euronews reported that Iranian state media characterised any new confrontation as capable of reaching 'the heart of Europe', language suggesting Tehran views European soil as part of an extended theatre of potential conflict.

The statement reflects a pattern of Iranian escalation that has intensified over the past months. Rome, as both a NATO ally and a Mediterranean power with significant economic ties to the Middle East, finds itself at the intersection of US strategic interests and Iranian regional ambitions. Italy's government has not yet publicly responded to the specific threat, though NATO and EU officials have previously characterised such rhetoric as destabilising.