Iran's armed forces threatened to "light every oil field in the region" if the US or Israel attacked its energy facilities, the London-based opposition-outlet Iran International reported on Thursday.
According to the report, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which acts as the main headquarters of the Iranian military, warned that any attack on the country’s energy infrastructure or ports would trigger a “devastating response,” threatening to set fire to oil and gas facilities across the region linked to the US or its allies.
“We warn the aggressor government and all its partners that the smallest attack on the energy infrastructure and ports of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be followed by our crushing and destructive response,” the Iranian military spokesman said.
The statement came after the IDF struck Tehran's fuel depots on Saturday, causing significant fires in the area and smoke to engulf the Iranian capital for several days.
The IDF confirmed at the time that the attacks targeted facilities used by Iran's army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and did not constitute an attack on civilian infrastructure.
Iran claims Strait of Hormuz is open at UN headquarters
Iran's UN Ambassador said on Thursday that Tehran would not close the Strait of Hormuz, but added that it was Iran's right to preserve the security of the key shipping route.
Amir Saeid Iravani made his comments to reporters at the United Nations when asked about remarks by the new Iranian supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who said on Thursday that the "lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must continue to be used."
"We are not going to close the Strait of Hormuz," Iravani said. "But it is our inherent right to preserve the peace and security in this waterway."
In a prepared statement he read to reporters before responding to questions, Iravani said that "Iran fully respects and remains committed to the principle of freedom of navigation under the law of the sea."
"However, the current situation in the region, including in the Strait of Hormuz, is not the result of Iran's lawful exercise of its right of self-defense. Rather, it is the direct consequence of the destabilizing actions of the United States in launching aggression against Iran and undermining regional security," he added.