Threatened by Trump, Iran Warns of Thirst and Total Darkness for Gulf States
Tehran – Iran’s military has threatened to attack all energy infrastructure linked to the US and Israel in the Middle East if its power plants are targeted. Crucial desalination facilities providing clean water in Gulf countries will also be targeted.
Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Command, stated that Iran would strike desalination plants and information technology infrastructure connected to the US and Israel.
The warning came after Trump threatened to attack Iran’s power plants if Iran fails to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
Meanwhile, Fars News Agency reported that the late chairman of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, had warned that “the entire region will go dark within half an hour” if Iran’s electricity grid is targeted.
It is worth noting that Iran has always followed through on its threats so far. Following the initial US-Israel attack on Iran on 28 February, Iran immediately carried out its threat to strike US bases in the region. Dozens of US soldiers were killed in the retaliation.
Iran also fulfilled its threat to close the Strait of Hormuz if the US-Israel actions continued. This closure caused global oil prices to surge close to $150 per barrel. If it persists, the rise in oil and gas prices could shake the world economy.
When Israel attacked Iran’s South Pars gas field on 19 March, the response was strikes on oil and gas facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait operated by Western state-owned companies. The most significant damage occurred at Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG facility.
Due to the shutdown of two major refineries there, QatarEnergy was forced to declare force majeure on long-term contracts for the next five years.
Directly affected countries include Italy, Belgium, South Korea, and China. ExxonMobil (US), which holds stakes in the S4 and S6 refineries, and Shell (UK-Netherlands), a partner in the GTL facility, now face operational uncertainty. Qatar stated that production can only resume if the war in the region is completely stopped.
Most recently, Iran immediately retaliated against the US-Israel attack on the Natanz nuclear facility on Saturday, 23 March. Iran launched missiles that penetrated Israel’s Iron Dome defences, striking Dimona, the site of Israel’s nuclear facility, and the city of Arad. Over 100 Israeli civilians were hospitalised as a result of the attack.