Iran has issued a strong warning to neighbouring countries amid renewed tensions, cautioning that any state that allows its airspace to be used for military operations against Tehran could be treated as a legitimate target in retaliation.
Middle East analyst Trita Parsi, of the Quincy Institute, said Iran’s message appears aimed at deterring regional governments from cooperating with potential strikes.
According to Parsi, Tehran is signalling that countries granting airspace access for attacks “will be seen as a legitimate target,” warning such involvement could bring serious consequences beyond Iran itself.
The development comes as attention returns to the challenges surrounding any potential attempt to target Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following the June conflict between Israel and Iran.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz admitted after the conflict that although Khamenei was viewed as a possible target, Israel lacked the opportunity to strike him.
“He was a legitimate target for elimination, but it wasn’t possible this time around,” Katz said.
Katz further explained that Israel was unable to locate Khamenei after he reportedly went into hiding, claiming the Iranian leader moved deep underground and cut off contact with military commanders.
“Khamenei understood this. He went deep underground to great depths, and even broke off contact with the commanders,” Katz added. “So ultimately, it wasn’t realistic.”
During the June strikes, Israel reportedly killed several senior Iranian military figures, including Iran’s highest-ranking officer and the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), highlighting the depth of intelligence behind the operation.
However, despite the early success of the strikes, Israeli officials acknowledged they could not pinpoint the Supreme Leader’s location throughout the conflict, reinforcing how difficult such a target would be to reach even in a high-intensity military campaign.
