Iran warns of retaliation if US attacks its energy infrastructure
Iran's military command said the United States is escalating toward a regional war and warned Muslim countries against supporting the U.S., while the United States and Israel continue strikes on Iranian and regional targets.
Iranian officials said they are prepared to retaliate against any U.S. attacks on the country's energy facilities. Major General Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran’s wartime military command, warned that the United States is "moving at an accelerating pace to fan the flames of a full-scale regional war" and urged Muslim nations to reconsider cooperation with Washington, stating that those that act as a "defensive shield" for the U.S. would "burn in the fire of war."
The remarks came after U.S. media reported that the United States and Israel were considering a large-scale operation targeting Iran’s civilian power and petrochemical sites. Reports cited unnamed sources saying President Donald Trump had not yet authorized the strike, which could last up to two weeks and aim to disrupt electricity in Tehran.
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said Israel wanted to strike Iran’s energy targets but that the United States was hesitant because of concerns about regional retaliation and a potential global oil crisis.
In recent days, U.S. forces have conducted airstrikes in at least five Iranian provinces, targeting IRGC command centres, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance sites. The attacks resulted in both military and civilian casualties, including a two-year-old child killed on Qeshm Island. Kuwait reported shooting down several Iranian drones, and two vessels were damaged off Oman.
Iranian state media broadcast footage of a missile-hit ship near the Strait of Hormuz, warning that reliance on U.S. guarantees of safe passage was misplaced. In Iraq, drone attacks have struck Kurdish opposition groups, and a refinery in Erbil was reported on fire after an unnamed attack.
Iran’s secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, said continued U.S. strikes and a naval blockade worsen conditions in the Strait of Hormuz and will affect the global economy. The foreign ministry said no formal negotiation request has been sent to Washington, though messages are being conveyed through intermediaries.
Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told hard-line lawmakers that Iran must consolidate its military gains and pursue a negotiated resolution, while emphasizing the need for the supreme leader to have greater latitude in future decisions.