The war between America and Iran in the Middle East has now completed nine months. However, there are no signs of this war stopping yet. A senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader has warned that if America attacks again, Tehran could extend the fight to the Indian Ocean.
Iranian News Agency has released a video of Yahya Rahim Safavi, senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In this video, Rahim Safavi said, “This fight has spread from the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea. So, if there is another war, this fight is likely to spread to the Indian Ocean and perhaps even beyond.” Iran has given this statement at a time when tension in the Middle East has reached its highest level. Shipping traffic from the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea has been largely disrupted.
Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that any new US military action could lead to retaliation against US interests and assets across the region. According to reports, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also said on Monday that if it is threatened again, it may change its military strategy and targets.
The Indian Ocean is the third largest among the five marine areas of the world. It is spread over an area of about 70.5 million square kilometers (27.2 million square miles), which is about 20 percent of the Earth's water surface. To its north is Asia, which includes India, Iran, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The Indian Ocean connects the Persian Gulf to the major economies of Asia, including India. Some of the world's most important maritime trade routes pass through this ocean. India lies in the northern part of the Indian Ocean and has large maritime trade links with the Gulf, Africa and South-East Asia. If this conflict spreads to the Indian Ocean, it could increase the threat to shipping, insurance, energy supplies and regional trade. The US-Iran war is already affecting India. Rising prices of oil, LPG and shipping are impacting economies around the world.
One of these trade routes is the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. This strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and then to the Indian Ocean.
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