Iran’s wartime military commander warned Saturday that the United States is “moving at an accelerating pace to fan the flames of a full-scale regional war,” as Tehran prepared retaliation plans for potential attacks on its civilian energy infrastructure.
Major General Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran’s wartime military command, addressed regional neighbors in a statement saying the US was using their capital, resources, and infrastructure as a shield for its own interests while strengthening Israel’s war machine. He warned any country that makes itself a defensive shield for the US “will burn in the fire of war.”
The warning came in reaction to reports by major US media outlets that the US and Israel may be imminently launching an extensive wave of attacks against Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including power plants and petrochemical manufacturers. President Trump had not yet given final authorization on an operation that could potentially last up to two weeks and aim to cut electricity across Tehran.
Iran’s state-linked Tasnim news agency cited an unnamed source saying armed forces have prepared an extensive plan of retaliation to the “potential madness” of the US by hitting “vital infrastructure” linked with the US and Israel. Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz had previously stated “we very much want to strike Iran’s energy targets” and was ready to “set Iran back 40 years.”
Since the start of the war on February 28, the US and Israel have struck military bases and leaders across Iran, while also targeting parts of the country’s civilian infrastructure. In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and regular army have launched ballistic missiles and drones at US and Israeli military bases across the region, striking energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman.
Strikes intensified across the region in recent days. The US military attacked at least five Iranian provinces overnight into Thursday, hitting IRGC command centers, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance sites. Kuwait’s army said its air defenses destroyed multiple Iranian drones within the country’s airspace, with damage reported to government facilities and civilian vehicles.
At least two vessels were hit off the coast of Oman, and Iran warned that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to traffic not approved by the IRGC. Iranian state media broadcast footage from near a missile-struck ship, warning others that this was “the smoke of mistakenly trusting the US” promises of safe passage through the southern corridor.
Iran emphasized it does not intend to give up the Strait of Hormuz as strategic leverage. The waterway, which normally carries around 20 percent of global oil shipments, has been effectively closed since the start of the war, contributing to oil prices surging above $100 a barrel.
Sources: Al Jazeera, CBS News, CNN
Author: Middle East Desk
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