Iran Warns of Retaliation as US Weighs Strikes on Its Facilities
A senior Iranian security official has warned that any attack on the country's infrastructure will be met with retaliation, as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate.
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said that "attacks on [Iranian] infrastructure will be met with response measures," according to the Tasnim news agency, as reported by TASS. He added that "the criminal Zionist regime (Israel - TASS) will not escape retaliation either." The Jerusalem Post separately quoted him as saying that "Israel will not be spared from the response," and reported that he referred to US President Donald Trump as "the world's most hated figure" in remarks carried by Iran's state media.
The warning followed a statement from Trump indicating that the United States is considering strikes on Iranian electrical manufacturing facilities, power plants, and desalination plants if tensions escalate, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The Broader Conflict
According to multiple reports, the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike, and his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has since assumed the role of Supreme Leader. Citing an anonymous source, TASS reported that Mojtaba Khamenei will not appear in public until the war with the US and Israel is over and the security situation improves. The source said he will not make public appearances until the government sees the situation normalize.
In June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding providing for an immediate ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon. The two sides later engaged in talks in Switzerland, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan. However, on July 8, the United States resumed airstrikes on Iran, accusing Tehran of violating the agreements, particularly regarding navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Key Claims
A senior Iranian official, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, warned the United States that attacks on Iranian infrastructure will be met with retaliation. According to Iranian state media, Zolghadr said that "attacks on infrastructure will be met with response measures" and that "the criminal Zionist regime (Israel) will not escape retaliation either." The Jerusalem Post also quoted him as saying that "Israel will not be spared from the response."
The Jerusalem Post reported that US President Donald Trump has indicated he is considering strikes on Iranian electrical manufacturing facilities, power plants, and desalination plants. Zolghadr reportedly referred to Trump as "the world's most hated figure." A source with knowledge of the situation told Reuters that Qatari negotiators are in Iran to facilitate talks aimed at de-escalating tensions and addressing implementation of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, as well as the disputes that triggered the recent escalation, including over the Strait of Hormuz.
TASS reported, citing an anonymous source, that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei "will not make any public appearances until the war with the US and Israel is over and the security situation normalizes." The source added that Khamenei's first foreign leader contact could be with a Russian official, though no further details were provided.
Key Claims
According to TASS, the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, and the former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in airstrikes. Both TASS and the Jerusalem Post reported that a memorandum of understanding was signed between the US and Iran in June, and that the US resumed airstrikes on July 8, accusing Iran of violating the agreement, particularly regarding the Strait of Hormuz. TASS quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei as saying on July 13 that Tehran had never violated the memorandum and that responsibility for non-compliance lies with Washington. The Jerusalem Post, citing Iranian state media, reported that the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, warned that retaliation would follow any attack on Iranian infrastructure and that "Israel will not be spared."
Perspectives
Iranian official (TASS/ Tehran): Attacks on Iranian infrastructure will be met with retaliation, and Israel, described as a "criminal Zionist regime," will not escape punishment.
US official (Jerusalem Post): President Trump has indicated he is considering strikes on Iranian electrical, power, and desalination plants in response to escalation, reflecting a more aggressive US posture.
Diplomatic source (via Reuters): Qatar is actively mediating to de-escalate tensions and facilitate broader negotiations between the US and Iran, focusing on the memorandum of understanding and navigation issues in the Strait of Hormuz.