Iran repeats retaliation threat after US hits Kharg Island military

Fars News Agency reported that more than 15 explosions shook the island, sending thick pillars of smoke into the sky

By Arsalan Shahla

 

Iran warned it will target American-linked oil and energy facilities in the Middle East if its own infrastructure is attacked, reiterating its threat after the US bombed military targets on the critical outpost of Kharg Island.

 

“All oil, economic, and energy facilities belonging to oil companies in the region that are partly owned by the United States or that cooperate with the United States will be immediately destroyed and reduced to ashes” if Iran’s energy and economic assets are hit, the semi-official Fars News Agency cited the central military command as saying.

 

After the attack on military assets, President Donald Trump threatened additional strikes on Iran’s oil facilities on the island if Tehran continued to interfere with ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Kharg Island is off the coast of the Iranian mainland and deep in the Persian Gulf. Oil pipelines that terminate there handle the vast majority of Iran’s energy exports, making it crucial for the country’s economy.

 

 

Fars separately reported that more than 15 explosions shook the island, sending thick pillars of smoke into the sky. The agency said the attacks targeted the island’s air defense systems, a naval base, the airport control tower, and a helicopter hangar, but it did not immediately report any casualties or the scale of the damage.

 

The US threat to strike one of the most critical pillars of the Islamic Republic’s economy marks a fresh escalation in Tehran’s war with Israel and the US, which has now entered its fifteenth day. On Friday, Trump said the US would continue its campaign as long as necessary, while also insisting the campaign is “way ahead of schedule.” 

 

He also suggested the US Navy would begin escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz “very soon.”