An Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, Kataib Hezbollah, has warned it will target oil and gas infrastructure if external forces try to force open the Strait of Hormuz, state-aligned media reported. The group’s leader, Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, said any attempt to reopen the waterway by force would prompt strikes on energy platforms and facilities, and stressed that the strait should not be accessible to what he called “enemy” powers. He framed the stance as a binary choice between shared security and shared deprivation, and urged restraint by outside actors.
Al-Hamidawi also condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure as the conflict moves into its fifth week, and appealed for funds to be raised and sent to Lebanon, according to the report.
Separately, Iran’s navy said recent developments have permanently altered the strategic situation in the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that extra-regional powers such as the United States and Israel can no longer exert the same level of influence in Iran’s maritime neighborhood. Tehran’s naval command described efforts to build a local security framework led by Gulf littoral states, arguing regional actors should assume responsibility for stability without reliance on outside forces.
The Iranian statement pointed to steps taken to reinforce that posture, including stepped-up naval patrols, enhanced surveillance systems, and coordinated rapid-response units intended to defend territorial waters and keep energy routes through the strait open.
The rhetoric follows a stark warning from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he would unleash severe retaliation if Iran persisted in keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed. With a U.S.-set deadline approaching, Axios reported that Washington, Tehran and regional intermediaries have held discussions about a possible 45-day ceasefire that could open the way to a longer-term settlement.
The escalating exchanges highlight the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global energy shipments, and raise concerns about potential attacks on civilian energy infrastructure in the event of further confrontation.
