Iran has warned Gulf states that any renewed U.S. attack on Iranian territory would trigger retaliation against oil facilities, refineries, electricity grids and other critical infrastructure across the region, Reuters reports.
The warning was delivered through a series of high-level diplomatic contacts after President Donald Trump threatened on July 28 to strike Iran’s energy resources and infrastructure. Tehran’s message was conveyed primarily through Saudi Arabia and Qatar as Iran sought to pressure Gulf governments to discourage Washington from launching another round of military action.
“We conveyed to everyone, including Saudi Arabia, that if the U.S. starts a war, there won’t be any distinction across the region,” a senior Iranian official said. The official insisted that Iran was not seeking war but would act to protect itself if attacked.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman subsequently spoke with Trump and urged him to delay military action, return to negotiations, secure a ceasefire and pursue a diplomatic settlement. Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia have also pressed Washington to resume talks amid Iranian warnings that another series of U.S. strikes could “turn the region into a fireball.”
“Saudi Arabia believes further escalation will only bring more destruction,” a Gulf source said. “That is why it urged Trump to give diplomacy a chance.”
Saudi Arabia also reportedly warned that any attack on its own territory would be met with a military response. Ali Shihabi, a Saudi analyst close to the Royal Court, said Riyadh believes further escalation is unlikely to achieve the desired result and favors a combination of proportionate military responses and sustained pressure on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.
An Iranian official said Tehran made clear that any new U.S. strike would be answered with attacks against energy facilities, refineries, electricity and water infrastructure, transportation networks and oil fields across the Gulf.
“The enemy continues to threaten Iranian infrastructure. If Iran suffers damage, it will inflict far greater damage in return,” the official said, invoking the September 2019 attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities that temporarily disrupted more than half of the kingdom’s crude oil production.
Iranian officials believe the threats will force Washington and its Gulf allies to weigh the severe economic and strategic consequences of renewed military action. From Tehran’s perspective, Trump must either risk a wider conflict that could engulf the Gulf and disrupt global energy supplies or accept a negotiated agreement that falls short of the decisive victory Washington is seeking.
“The United States wants something it can present as proof that it won the war,” a senior regional diplomat said.
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