Report: Iran Plans to Attack US Bases, Threaten Global Economy

Iran has laid out a vision for a potential war with the United States, detailing how it believes it could strike U.S. military bases across the Middle East, cripple global energy markets and pressure Washington into backing down, The Telegraph reported Thursday.

 The plan was published by Tasnim, a news agency affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It outlines a multi-stage conflict designed to offset America's military superiority through asymmetric warfare.

The disclosure comes as diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran appeared close to collapse before both sides agreed to meet in Oman.

President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, should still be "very worried."

According to the report, Iran's scenario begins with U.S. air and missile strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, military installations, and IRGC bases — many located in densely populated areas.

Tehran anticipates U.S. attacks launched from aircraft carriers, strategic bombers, and allied bases, using stealth aircraft and precision-guided weapons to overwhelm Iranian defenses.

Iran says it has prepared by dispersing assets, hardening facilities, and constructing underground missile and command centers designed to survive initial strikes. The goal, Iranian planners argue, is not to prevent damage but to retain the ability to retaliate.

"We are ready for any action by enemies," Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, Iran's armed forces chief of staff, said this week. "After the 12-day war, we changed our military doctrine from defensive to offensive by adopting a policy of asymmetric warfare and a crushing response to enemies."

The second phase would see Iran launching barrages of missiles and drones at U.S. bases across the region. Targets would reportedly include Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ali Al Salem Air Base, and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, facilities in the UAE, and U.S. positions in Syria and Iraq.

Amir Akraminia, Iran's army spokesman, claimed access to U.S. bases is "easy." The report notes Iran previously struck Ain al-Asad Air Base in Iraq in 2020, injuring more than 100 American troops.

Tasnim wrote that "Iran does not see itself as an 'isolated island' in war," but as the center of a wider network involving its proxies Hezbollah, Yemen's Houthi rebels, and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.

These groups would be expected to open additional fronts against Israel, U.S. forces, and shipping lanes.

The plan also envisions cyber warfare targeting transportation systems, energy infrastructure, financial networks, and military communications. Iran believes cyber attacks could pressure countries hosting U.S. forces to withdraw support.

Perhaps the most consequential threat involves the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 21% of the world's oil supply passes. Iran has repeatedly warned it could disrupt shipping through the narrow waterway.

Hossein Shariatmadari, a representative of Khamenei, said: "We can impose restrictions against the United States, France, Britain, and Germany in the Strait of Hormuz and not allow them to navigate."

Iran believes even partial disruption could send oil prices soaring to $200 a barrel, inflicting severe global economic damage and fracturing support for U.S. military action.

While U.S. contingency plans exist to keep Hormuz open, The Telegraph notes that even limited interference would rattle global markets.

Iran's strategy ultimately rests on the belief that Washington lacks the political will for a prolonged, multi-front conflict — a gamble that carries enormous risks for both sides.