Eye for Iran <\/a>podcast that Tehran\u2019s capabilities now extend far beyond previously stated limits \u2014 potentially reaching as far as the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n\u201cThis should not come as a surprise,\u201d Sayeh said. He noted that Iranian missiles and drones have already been used on European soil through Russia. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe difference now is that the regime itself can launch them directly from Iranian territory,” said Sayeh. <\/p>\n
The shift marks a critical evolution \u2014 from indirect projection of force to direct long-range capability \u2014 underscoring the growing reach of Iran\u2019s arsenal.<\/p>\n
Even if unsuccessful, the Diego Garcia strike signals a move from regional containment to global reach \u2014 with direct implications for Europe and beyond.<\/p>\n
In his State of the Union address last month, President Donald Trump cautioned that Iran\u2019s missile program could soon put the United States within reach \u2014 a claim that, in light of recent developments, is no longer theoretical.<\/p>\n
Missile cities: A durable arsenal<\/p>\n
That expanded reach is underpinned by an infrastructure designed not just to deter \u2014 but to endure.<\/p>\n
Nadimi said Iran has long possessed the technical ability to extend the range of its missiles, including through payload modification and dual-use space-launch technology.<\/p>\n
More significantly, he described a vast network of hardened underground facilities \u2014 some \u201cthe size of a small city\u201d \u2014 buried deep beneath mountainous terrain and reinforced structures, making them extraordinarily difficult to destroy.<\/p>\n
These so-called \u201cmissile cities\u201d are often positioned near \u2014 and in some cases beneath \u2014 civilian infrastructure, including residential neighborhoods and public spaces, complicating targeting while increasing their survivability.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of these missile bases are so deep that even the most powerful bunker-buster bombs cannot reach them\u2026 some are as deep as 500 meters and the size of a small city,” Nadimi told Eye for Iran. <\/p>\n
Strait of Hormuz: Global Stakes<\/p>\n
The implications extend far beyond military capability.<\/p>\n
The Strait of Hormuz \u2014 through which roughly one-fifth of the world\u2019s oil supply passes \u2014 has emerged as a central pressure point in the conflict.<\/p>\n
Disruptions tied to the war have already rattled global energy markets, with prices reacting to uncertainty around shipping routes and potential escalation.<\/p>\n
Joel Rubin, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Obama administration, warned on Eye for Iran that Iran\u2019s actions reflect a broader strategic calculus.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is how Iran behaves,\u201d he said. \u201cThey are willing to disrupt and destroy the global economy to protect themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Walid Phares, foreign policy expert, advisor to past US presidents and author, described the Strait not as a theoretical chokepoint, but as an active military theater \u2014 where Iranian missile systems along the coastline could trigger direct US intervention to secure global shipping lanes.<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump has repeatedly said the United States would reopen the Strait \u201cwith or without\u201d allied support \u2014 underscoring the scale of the economic stakes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich tells me that ground forces, limited special forces, Marines, now we understand, may be used,” said Phares, author of Iran: An Imperialist Republic and US Policy.<\/p>\n
Talks as strategy, not solution<\/p>\n
Even as diplomatic efforts continue, both sides appear to be using negotiations as part of a broader strategic game.<\/p>\n
Rubin pointed to a narrowing political and economic window in Washington, suggesting the US is unlikely to sustain prolonged negotiations as domestic pressure builds.<\/p>\n
Phares also framed talks not as a pathway to de-escalation, but as part of a parallel track where diplomacy unfolds alongside active military preparation.<\/p>\n
In this environment, negotiations are not replacing escalation \u2014 they are occurring within it.<\/p>\n
Toward escalation: troops and targets<\/p>\n
On the ground, signs of a deeper military phase are becoming more pronounced.<\/p>\n
The Pentagon is weighing sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal and Axios \u2014 a move that would significantly expand US combat presence in the region.<\/p>\n
The deployment would include infantry and armored units, adding to thousands of Marines and paratroopers already moving into position.<\/p>\n
Officials say forces could be staged within striking distance of Iran, including near Kharg Island, a critical oil export hub that handles the vast majority of the country\u2019s crude exports.<\/p>\n
Military planners are also reportedly developing options for a \u201cfinal blow,\u201d including a large-scale bombing campaign and the potential use of ground forces.<\/p>\n
No final decision has been made \u2014 but the scale and positioning of forces point toward preparation, not restraint.<\/p>\n
A region already shifting<\/p>\n
At the same time, regional dynamics are beginning to shift.<\/p>\n
The United Arab Emirates has publicly warned \u2014 in a Wall Street Journal op-ed by its ambassador to Washington \u2014 that a simple ceasefire is not enough, signaling growing alignment among US partners around the need for a more decisive outcome.<\/p>\n
In Lebanon \u2014 long considered firmly within Iran\u2019s sphere of influence \u2014 mounting pressure on Hezbollah, moves to marginalize IRGC influence, and the withdrawal of Iran\u2019s ambassador from Beirut point to potential cracks in Tehran\u2019s regional posture.<\/p>\n
For many observers, the attempted strike toward Diego Garcia marks a turning point because of what it revealed: the range and the probable intent, all are now visible.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On March 20, Iran fired two long-range ballistic missiles at the Diego Garcia base, a target long considered…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":363567,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,87,98127,98124,98123,20889,98125,59417,92,98122,98126,47,43,40,38,41,39,81563],"class_list":["post-363566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-iran","tag-iran-and-china","tag-iran-covid","tag-iran-economy","tag-iran-government","tag-iran-media-iran-and-the-united-states","tag-iran-news","tag-iran-nuclear","tag-iran-politics","tag-iran-us","tag-middle-east","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-us-sanctions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=363566"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363566\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/363567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=363566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=363566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=363566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}