Iran has warned that it will target oil and energy infrastructure belonging to companies linked to the US if its own facilities come under further attack, escalating tensions in the Gulf region after US strikes on Kharg Island.
According to Iranian media, the country’s armed forces issued the warning through the Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the command responsible for coordinating Iran’s air defence operations.
In a statement, the military said any attack on Iran’s oil and energy installations would trigger immediate retaliation against energy infrastructure owned by companies cooperating with the US in the region.
The statement warned that such facilities would be “immediately destroyed and turned into a pile of ashes” if Iranian energy infrastructure was targeted.
The warning followed remarks by Donald Trump claiming that US forces had struck military targets on Kharg Island, Iran’s most important oil export hub.
Kharg Island handles roughly 90 percent of Iran’s crude oil exports and is considered the backbone of the country’s oil shipment network.
In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the US had “totally obliterated” all military targets on the island.
However, he added that US forces had deliberately avoided attacking the island’s oil export infrastructure.
Trump warned that the decision could change if Iran interferes with shipping through the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil transit routes.
“Should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” he said.
The latest exchange of threats has heightened concerns in global energy markets, as any disruption around Kharg Island or the Strait of Hormuz could affect a significant share of global crude oil supplies and push energy prices sharply higher.