Iran has plan ready for responding to potential attacks on infrastructure: Report
Tehran, Aug 1
Iran has prepared an "extensive" plan for responding to potential attacks on Iranian infrastructure, the country's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Saturday.
Tasnim cited a senior security official as saying that Iran has prepared an "extensive" plan in response to US media's recent claims about possible US and Israeli strikes against its infrastructure. The plan involves targeting vital Israeli infrastructure and US energy infrastructure in the West Asia region.
The Wall Street Journal on Friday cited US officials as saying that President Donald Trump "has ordered the military to launch a fresh attack on Iran that could begin as soon as this weekend and last a few days."
Also, CBS News reported on Friday that the United States and Israel are preparing for intense strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure, which could begin during the weekend, Xinhua news agency reported.
Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr warned early Saturday in a message carried by Iranian media that the US continuation of its naval blockade and warmongering against Iran will only "further tighten the lock on the Strait of Hormuz" and lead to the closure of other straits.
He added that the global economy and energy market, as well as American voters, will be the ones to pay the price.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has warned Britain against any military cooperation with the United States in carrying out strikes on Iran.
Araghchi made the remarks during a phone call with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband late Friday, stressing that any cooperation with "aggressors," including under the pretext of existing defence agreements, would be "unacceptable," according to a statement issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Saturday.
Araghchi criticised what he described as the British government's "unjustified and inappropriate" policies toward Iran, citing London's recent designation of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) as a national security threat and its "complicity" in two wars imposed by the United States and Israel against Iran in recent months. He called on Britain to reconsider its approach toward Tehran.
He said that under international law and the Convention for the Definition of Aggression, allowing a country's territory and facilities to be used for illegal attacks against another state constitutes an act of aggression and gives the attacked country the right to self-defence.
Araghchi said Iran had entered a diplomatic process with the United States in good faith and signed a memorandum of understanding with Washington in June aimed at ending the conflict, but Washington failed to honour its commitments, Xinhua news agency reported.
He also highlighted Iran's efforts to establish operational mechanisms with Oman to manage shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, warning that third-party interference would only further complicate matters.
For his part, Miliband said his country was not involved in the war against Iran and maintained that diplomacy was the way to resolve disputes.
Last month, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham approved the continued US use of British military bases for operations related to Iran, maintaining a policy established by his predecessor.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks on US and Israeli bases and assets in the region, while tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The US and Israel have been provoking Iran for decades, and now they're surprised when Iran threatens retaliation. Every sovereign nation has the right to defend itself. The real tragedy is that ordinary civilians on both sides will suffer because of these political games. We've seen enough war in our region, haven't we?
As someone who follows geopolitics closely, Iran's deterrent strategy makes tactical sense. They can't match US military might, so asymmetric responses like targeting energy infrastructure and closing straits are their best leverage. But this is playing with fire - the global economy could crash if Hormuz gets shut down. India especially needs to be ready for disruption in oil supply chains.
Yaar, this whole situation is scary. When America attacks a country, they talk about democracy and freedom, but when that country fights back, they're called terrorists. Double standards hain bhai. Iran should definitely defend itself, but I hope they don't escalate too much. We need peace for our students and workers in that region. 🙏
As an American, I'm tired of my government constantly getting involved in conflicts that don't concern us. The killing of their leader was a huge mistake, and now we're paying the consequences. I'm with Iran on this one - if you attack a country, you can't complain when they hit back. Time for real diplomacy, not more bombs.
Honestly, this is the mess we inherited from decades of shortsighted foreign policy. Iran deserves better treatment than this. But I also wonder about their own people - they've been under sanctions, their leaders were killed, and now they're being pushed into this
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.