Israel Warns Iran Attack Would Bring Strikes on Energy Infrastructure
By The Media Line Staff
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that the Israeli military would strike Iranian energy infrastructure and other state targets if Tehran launches a new attack against the country, escalating Jerusalem’s warning as renewed US-Iran fighting keeps the region on edge.
Speaking at a Jewish New Year gathering for Defense Ministry employees in Tel Aviv, Katz said Israel sees signs that Iran’s economic pressures and fears of internal unrest could lead it to take more dangerous action.
“There are signs we are seeing that indicate that the heavy economic pressure Iran is under and the fear of an uprising and the fall of the regime could push them to desperate measures,” Katz said.
He said an Iranian attack would prompt an Israeli response without limits. “An Iranian attack on Israel will free us from all constraints. We will strike all infrastructure—including energy infrastructure—and return Iran to the Stone Age and darkness,” he said.
The warning came after Iran fired missiles and drones at US-linked targets in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq following a new wave of American strikes against Iranian military facilities. Several countries said their air defenses intercepted the incoming weapons.
Israel has not reported a new direct Iranian attack during the latest exchange, but officials have placed the military on heightened readiness. Katz said the Israel Defense Forces was prepared “defensively and offensively” for any scenario.
The confrontation follows months of tension between Israel and Iran, which intensified after the US and Israel launched military operations against Iran in February. The latest escalation has focused renewed attention on the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has threatened commercial shipping and traffic has fallen sharply.
The narrow waterway carried about one-fifth of globally traded oil before the conflict. Concern that fighting could further disrupt supplies has driven crude prices higher in recent days.
Iran’s energy sector is central to its economy and has long been targeted by US sanctions. An Israeli attack on oil, gas, power or export infrastructure could widen the conflict beyond military facilities and place additional pressure on a country already confronting inflation, reduced oil exports and international financial restrictions.
Katz’s remarks also came as Israeli leaders weigh threats from Iran and its regional partners, including Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel has said it will respond forcefully to attacks on its territory, while Tehran has warned against a larger Israeli offensive in southern Lebanon.
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