Iran has again warned that it will target infrastructure across the region if its own infrastructure comes under attack.
Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesperson for the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff, said on Iranian state television on Thursday evening that any attack on Iran’s infrastructure would trigger retaliation.
“If our infrastructure is attacked, all infrastructure in the region will become our targets,” Shekarchi said.
He blamed the United States for the current tensions in the region, saying Washington’s military presence was the main cause of instability.
“The problem is that the United States came here from the other side of the world. If it were not here, the countries of the region would not have these problems among themselves,” he said.
Shekarchi also repeated that Iran would never allow any US intervention in the Strait of Hormuz.
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“If the United States were not in the region, the Strait of Hormuz would not have been closed,” he added.
He said Iran had designated a safe maritime route for ships passing through the strait and warned that any other routes would be considered unsafe, with vessels using them potentially facing danger.
On Iran’s military capabilities, Shekarchi said the country had sufficient strength to fight a prolonged war.
He added that Iran’s military power was now greater than it had been during what he described as the 12 -day war and said the country continued to develop its military capabilities.
Earlier on Thursday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it had launched a new wave of strikes against Iran for the fifth consecutive night.
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