Tehran [Iran], March 21 (ANI): Iran has threatened to expand retaliatory attacks to include recreational and tourist sites worldwide, Al Jazeera reported. General Abolfazl Shekarchi, the country’s top military spokesman, warned that “parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations” worldwide would not be safe for Iran’s enemies, raising fears Tehran may use asymmetric attacks beyond the Middle East to increase pressure on adversaries.
The threats come as Iran has stepped up attacks on energy infrastructure in Gulf Arab states following an earlier Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars offshore natural gas field. In one recent operation, two waves of Iranian drones attacked Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery early Friday, sparking a fire. The Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery can process about 730,000 barrels of oil per day and is among the largest in the Middle East.
Iran also responded to remarks by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggesting Washington could ease restrictions on Iranian oil, saying it has no surplus crude available for international markets. Oil Ministry spokesperson Saman Ghoddoosi posted on social media that “Currently, Iran basically has no surplus crude oil left on the water or for supply in other international markets, and the US Treasury secretary’s statement is solely aimed at giving hope to buyers,” Al Jazeera reported.
Separately, Iran issued a stern warning to the United Arab Emirates, saying it would target Ras al-Khaimah if Iranian Gulf islands were attacked again from UAE territory. A spokesperson, quoted by Iran’s Tasnim news agency, said, “We warn the United Arab Emirates, in case of repeated encroachment from the source of that country to the Iranian islands … in the Persian Gulf, the powerful Iranian armed forces will put Ras al-Khaimah … under their crushing blows,” according to Al Jazeera.
The Iranian islands are strategically located near the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas flows. Earlier this month, the UAE said it had intercepted a drone, with debris falling in the al-Hamra village area of Ras al-Khaimah, Al Jazeera reported.
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