Iran says it will ‘irreversibly destroy’ Middle East infrastructure if US attacks energy sites
Iran says it will ‘irreversibly destroy’ Middle East infrastructure if US attacks energy sites
Escalating Tensions and Targeted Strikes
Iranian missiles struck two southern Israeli cities overnight, injuring dozens, and the nation deployed long-range weapons for the first time in the conflict. This move signaled a possible sharp rise in hostilities, with both sides threatening facilities critical to millions. Tehran warned that it would ‘irreversibly destroy’ essential infrastructure across the Middle East, including vital water systems, if the US followed through on Donald Trump’s promise to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s power plants unless the Strait of Hormuz was fully opened within two days.
International Legal Concerns
Amnesty International noted that strikes on electricity, heating, and water systems could breach international law, with ‘vast, predictable, and devastating civilian harm’ in some cases qualifying as war crimes. The Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, added that vital regional infrastructure—such as energy and desalination facilities—would be seen as a legitimate target, to be ‘irreversibly destroyed’ after Iran’s own facilities were hit.
Strait of Hormuz Closure Threat
Iran’s military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, claimed it would strike ‘all energy, information technology, and desalination infrastructure’ of the US and Israel in the area. The statement warned that if Trump’s threat was executed, the Strait of Hormuz would be ‘completely closed and not reopened until our destroyed power plants are rebuilt.’
US Ultimatum and Iranian Response
On Saturday, the US president gave Iran a 48-hour deadline to open the strait, or face ‘hitting and obliterating’ its power plants, starting with the biggest. Ali Mousavi, Iran’s International Maritime Organisation representative, noted that the strait was accessible to all ships except those linked to ‘Iran’s enemies,’ with passage coordinated by Tehran.
Casualties and Retaliation
Over 2,000 people have died since February 28, when the US and Israel began their attacks on Iran. Iran retaliated by targeting Israel and Gulf states, pulling Lebanon into the war after Hezbollah launched strikes on Israeli cities. Air raid alarms rang across Israel on Sunday morning, warning of incoming missiles following attacks on Arad and Dimona that left around 200 people wounded, including a 12-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl in serious condition.
Missile Strikes and Defensive Measures
The Israeli military confirmed it could not intercept the missiles that hit Dimona and Arad, the closest major cities to the Negev Desert nuclear complex. This site, believed to hold the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal, has not been officially acknowledged as a nuclear weapons hub by Israel, which insists it serves research purposes.
Israeli Retaliation and Political Statements
Following the attacks, the Israeli army vowed to strike Tehran in retaliation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting Arad, declared that senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commanders would be ‘personally pursued
