Iran’s military leadership warned on Thursday that it would destroy infrastructure across the Middle East if the United States follows through on threats to bomb Iranian bridges and power plants next week.
The warning from Iranian Armed Forces spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari came two days after US President Donald Trump said on Fox News he would order strikes on Iranian infrastructure unless Tehran returned to negotiations. Iran reiterated that it would never permit American interference in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it an insurmountable red line.
The escalation threatens a fragile diplomatic process. The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June committing to peace talks and a phased end to the American naval blockade, following the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28.