Iran has threatened attacks on oil and energy facilities linked to the United States in the Middle East following Washington’s strikes on Kharg Island.
The “crown jewel” of Iran’s oil industry processes around 90% of the country’s oil exports, with the capacity to load seven million barrels of oil per day.
An Iranian military spokesperson warned that it would target “all oil, economic and energy infrastructures belonging to companies in the region that have American shares or cooperate with the United States” if Iran’s energy and economic infrastructure is attacked, Sky News reported.
Donald Trump said the United States targeted military facilities on Kharg Island, not oil infrastructure, but warned that this could be the next step. Fifteen explosions were reported by the semi-official Iranian news agency Fars.
The agency added that the strikes targeted an air defense facility, a naval base, the airport control tower and a helicopter hangar belonging to an offshore oil company, noting that no oil infrastructure had been damaged.
On Thursday, Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said that attacks on Iran’s southern islands would push the country to “abandon all restraint,” stressing their importance to the country’s economy and security.
