Iran Warns of "Devastating" Retaliation if US or Israel Strikes Its Assets

Ali Abdollahi, chief commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, issued the warning Saturday as a 10-day deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz is due to expire Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"After having admitted successive defeats, the aggressive and warmongering president of the United States has, in a desperate, nervous, unbalanced and foolish move, threatened (to target) Iran's infrastructure and national assets," Abdollahi said.

He said the Iranian armed forces would not hesitate "for a moment" to defend the country's rights and protect national assets and "will put the aggressors in their place."

In a post Saturday on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT," adding, "Time is running out -- 48 hours before all Hell will reign (sic) down on them."

On March 21, Trump threatened to "hit and obliterate" Iranian power plants if the country failed to fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. Two days later, however, he postponed strikes on power plants for five days after holding "productive conversations" with Tehran. He later pushed the deadline back again.

Meanwhile, Iran's IRGC Navy said it had hit an Israel-linked vessel with a drone, setting it on fire. In a statement on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC confirmed the attack, saying its forces had targeted an Israeli-owned commercial ship in a port in Bahrain.

Iran has authorised the passage of ships carrying essential and humanitarian goods through the Strait of Hormuz to it ports, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

The developments come amid heightened regional tensions following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran starting February 28, to which Iran and its regional allies responded with attacks on Israeli and US interests across the Middle East.

- IANS