# Iranian Military Adviser Warns Conflict Could Reach Indian Ocean

By Sonny Jang

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/people/23683
Published: 2026-09-24T11:12:33.000Z
Updated: 2026-09-24T11:12:33.000Z

Iranian military adviser Yahya Rahim Safavi warned Sept. 24 that further U.S. or Israeli attacks could push the conflict toward the Indian Ocean, raising concerns about shipping routes connected to the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz.

“Since the conflict has spread from the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea, it is possible that, in response to more war, the front will expand even further, reaching the Indian Ocean and perhaps beyond,” Safavi said.

Safavi, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said Iran’s armed forces had prepared for “worst-case scenarios” involving further attacks on Iranian facilities or national interests.

In a separate interview, Safavi said the Bab el-Mandeb Strait would not return to its previous condition and linked any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to Iranian conditions. His remarks did not announce a specific operation, target or timeline, and did not confirm that Bab el-Mandeb had been closed.

Bab el-Mandeb is the maritime passage between the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. It helps connect Asian and European trade routes through the Suez Canal, making the waterway important to global shipping.

The warning comes amid fighting involving Iran, the United States, Israel and Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen. Mohamed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, separately said the group had assured Washington it would not attack U.S. vessels in the Red Sea.

“We confirmed that we are not targeting the United States, or any other nation, in the strait, with the sole exception of the Saudi enemy,” al-Bukhaiti said.

The statements do not establish a unified policy on closing Bab el-Mandeb or targeting U.S. vessels. They also do not establish that commercial traffic has been disrupted following Safavi’s warning.

The Strait of Hormuz remains central to reopening talks, with Iran linking any reopening to its conditions. Earlier coverage has examined the stalled reopening conditions.

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- [Earlier coverage has examined the stalled reopening conditions](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/investing/23578)