Tehran: Iran's military threatened Sunday to attack oil facilities in the region in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes on its energy infrastructure. The threat was made by the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified combatant command headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces, according to the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA).
According to Anadolu Agency, the command stated that 'new brutal attacks' by the US and Israel had targeted parts of Iran's fuel and energy infrastructure as well as service facilities serving Iranian civilians. It urged governments of Islamic countries to warn Washington and Israel against continuing such attacks on oil facilities.
The statement further cautioned that failure to heed this warning could lead to similar retaliatory measures across the region. It warned that such an escalation could have major economic consequences, suggesting oil prices might exceed $200 per barrel if the conflict widens.
The tensions escalated when Israeli warplanes struck oil storage depots and refining facilities in Tehran on Saturday, marking the first time Tel Aviv had targeted such facilities since it launched a broader attack on Iran last week together with the US.
The regional escalation flared up after Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28, resulting in more than 1,200 fatalities, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and injuring over 10,000 others, according to Iranian authorities. In response, Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, Iraq, Jordan, and Gulf countries that host US military assets.