Iran has warned it will target British forces in the Chagos Islands if Donald Trump attacks the Middle Eastern nation.
A senior Iranian military official told The Telegraph that Tehran would strike the joint US-UK naval base on Diego Garcia in response to any US attack.
Iranian state media said Tehran would use ballistic missiles and suicide drones to retaliate against any "hostile action against the Iranian nation".
"There will be no distinction in targeting British or American forces if Iran is attacked from any base in the region or within the range of Iranian missiles," the official said.
He added: "When the time comes, it won't matter whether you're an American, British, or Turkish soldier you will be targeted if your base is used by Americans."
The threats specifically mentioned the Diego Garcia facility as a target for retaliation.
Iranian state media claimed the country "possesses adequate weapons for such an attack from its mainland", including newer versions of the Khorramshahr missile with intermediate range.
They also mentioned the Shahed-136B kamikaze drone with a range of 4,000km (2,485 miles).
MORE LIKE THIS:
The base is reportedly targeted because it houses B-2 Spirit bombers capable of striking Iran's underground facilities.
Satellite imagery showed at least three B-2 spirit bombers arrived at the outpost this week.
A British Government spokesman said: "We condemn these threats in the strongest terms. The UK Government continues to work with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation."
The spokesman emphasized that "the base on Diego Garcia is vital to UK and US security and plays a crucial role in maintaining regional and international security".
Iranian state media also listed other potential targets, including a US naval base in Bahrain close to a Royal Navy support facility.
Diego Garcia is the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago, a British sovereign territory that the Government plans to hand over to Mauritius.
The base has been a joint UK-US facility since the 1970s and houses about 4,000 US and British personnel.
Under the proposed deal with Mauritius, Diego Garcia would be leased back to the UK at a reported annual cost of £90million.
This arrangement would allow military operations to continue at the strategic base.
Since returning to office, Trump has restored his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran, which aims to stop it from obtaining a nuclear weapon by driving its oil exports down to zero.
The US president recently warned Iran that "very bad things will happen" if Tehran fails to agree to a nuclear deal.
"I don't want that to happen. My big preference is, we work it out with Iran," Trump said. He added that if they don't work it out, "bad, bad things are going to happen to Iran."
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has banned direct talks with the US, saying: "No problem will be solved by negotiating with America."
Iran confirmed it had responded to Trump's letter, neither rejecting talks outright nor agreeing to direct negotiations.
Kamal Kharazi, a senior adviser to Khamenei, said the regime had not closed all doors to diplomacy and was open to indirect talks.
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had sent its reply through Oman.
Find Out More...
A senior Iranian military official told The Telegraph that Tehran would strike the joint US-UK naval base on Diego Garcia in response to any US attack.
Iranian state media said Tehran would use ballistic missiles and suicide drones to retaliate against any "hostile action against the Iranian nation".
"There will be no distinction in targeting British or American forces if Iran is attacked from any base in the region or within the range of Iranian missiles," the official said.
He added: "When the time comes, it won't matter whether you're an American, British, or Turkish soldier you will be targeted if your base is used by Americans."
The threats specifically mentioned the Diego Garcia facility as a target for retaliation.
Iranian state media claimed the country "possesses adequate weapons for such an attack from its mainland", including newer versions of the Khorramshahr missile with intermediate range.
They also mentioned the Shahed-136B kamikaze drone with a range of 4,000km (2,485 miles).
MORE LIKE THIS:
- US deploys stealth bombers to the Chagos Islands in a warning to the Houthis and Iran
- 'Kowtowing to communist China!' Inside the fightback against Keir Starmer's 'surrender' of the Chagos Islands
- Kemi Badenoch faces OUSTING by covert Tory-Reform pact as she prepares for major speech later today
The base is reportedly targeted because it houses B-2 Spirit bombers capable of striking Iran's underground facilities.
Satellite imagery showed at least three B-2 spirit bombers arrived at the outpost this week.
A British Government spokesman said: "We condemn these threats in the strongest terms. The UK Government continues to work with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation."
The spokesman emphasized that "the base on Diego Garcia is vital to UK and US security and plays a crucial role in maintaining regional and international security".
Iranian state media also listed other potential targets, including a US naval base in Bahrain close to a Royal Navy support facility.
Diego Garcia is the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago, a British sovereign territory that the Government plans to hand over to Mauritius.
The base has been a joint UK-US facility since the 1970s and houses about 4,000 US and British personnel.
Under the proposed deal with Mauritius, Diego Garcia would be leased back to the UK at a reported annual cost of £90million.
This arrangement would allow military operations to continue at the strategic base.
Since returning to office, Trump has restored his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran, which aims to stop it from obtaining a nuclear weapon by driving its oil exports down to zero.
The US president recently warned Iran that "very bad things will happen" if Tehran fails to agree to a nuclear deal.
"I don't want that to happen. My big preference is, we work it out with Iran," Trump said. He added that if they don't work it out, "bad, bad things are going to happen to Iran."
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has banned direct talks with the US, saying: "No problem will be solved by negotiating with America."
Iran confirmed it had responded to Trump's letter, neither rejecting talks outright nor agreeing to direct negotiations.
Kamal Kharazi, a senior adviser to Khamenei, said the regime had not closed all doors to diplomacy and was open to indirect talks.
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had sent its reply through Oman.
Find Out More...