Iranian military officials have finalized a “target bank” for potential strikes that extends beyond the Middle East to include U.S. and Israeli sites in Europe and other distant regions. Keyoumars Heydari, deputy chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, stated the list is awaiting formal communication to commanders and that the response to any U.S. attack will have no geographical limits. This follows a directive from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei granting the military freedom of action globally, with security chief Mohsen Rezaei warning that any location from which American aircraft launch to bomb Iran would be considered a legitimate target for retaliation.

President Donald Trump responded to the escalating threats by stating that the current Iranian leadership “will not exist very long” if it kills a senior American official, though he noted that partners including Saudi Arabia and the UAE have urged him to avoid immediate escalation. In a recent interview, Trump said he would consider it a defeat if the Islamic Republic survives his term through January 2029, while adding that he possesses the ability to end the regime “at any moment.” The threats follow a reported U.S. move to relocate 10 KC-135 tankers from the U.K.’s RAF Mildenhall to other European bases due to credible threats from Tehran.