DUBAI (Reuters/UNS: Iran will retaliate to an attack on its electricity sector by targeting Israel’s power plants as well as power plants supplying US bases with electricity in regional countries, a statement by the Revolutionary Guards on Monday said.
The statement seemingly retracted earlier threats to desalination plants in the region, which are crucial for providing drinking water in Gulf countries.
“The lying … US President has claimed that the Revolutionary Guards intends to attack the water desalination plants and cause hardship to the people of the countries in the region,” the statement shared on state media said.
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump warned that Iranian power plants would be targeted if Tehran failed to “fully open” the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping within 48 hours.
“We are determined to respond to any threat at the same level as it creates in terms of deterrence … If you hit electricity, we hit electricity,” the Revolutionary Guards said.
Iranian attacks have effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, which carries a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas, causing the worst oil crisis since the 1970s.
More than 2,000 people have been killed during the war the US and Israel launched on February 28, which has upended markets, spiked fuel costs, fuelled global inflation fears and convulsed the postwar Western alliance.
The threat of strikes on Gulf electricity grids on Sunday raised the fear of mass disruption to desalination for drinking water, and further unsettled oil markets, with prices opening choppy in Asia trading.
After more than three weeks of heavy US and Israeli bombardment that officials say has sharply reduced Iran’s missile capabilities, Tehran has continued to demonstrate its ability to strike back.
Air raid sirens sounded across parts of northern and central Israel, including in Tel Aviv, and the occupied West Bank overnight on Sunday, warning of incoming missiles from Iran.
The Israeli military said early Monday it had begun a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure in Tehran.
