Iran has issued a stark warning aimed at nations around the world that do not align themselves with Tehran.
Iran’s confrontation with the US and Israel has been ongoing for close to three weeks, and there are few signs that the fighting is about to ease.
Pressure has mounted further since Israel struck the South Pars gas field on Wednesday (March 18). The site forms part of the largest natural gas reserve on Earth, is shared by Iran and Qatar, and holds an estimated 1,800 trillion cubic feet of usable gas, according to CNN.
President Trump has since commented on the escalation, insisting the US was not aware of any Israeli plan to hit the gas reserve.
So far, Iran’s retaliation has largely been directed at Israel and Gulf states known to be aligned with America, rather than targets on US territory—but officials have suggested that approach could shift.
Iran has now broadened its rhetoric, warning that leisure and tourism locations could be in the crosshairs worldwide. The threat was delivered on state television by military spokesperson Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi.
“From now on, based on the information we have about you, even parks, recreational areas, and tourist destinations anywhere in the world will no longer be safe for you,” he said.
In a separate statement, Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini also spoke about Iran’s capacity to maintain weapons production during wartime (via PBS).
“We are producing missiles even during war conditions, which is amazing, and there is no particular problem in stockpiling.”
When asked about the conflict’s likely endpoint, he indicated Iran anticipates a drawn-out campaign.
“These people expect the war to continue until the enemy is completely exhausted.”
Iranian state television later reported that Naeini has since been killed in an airstrike. The same reports say senior security figure Ali Larijani has also been killed.
Iran’s new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, addressed Larijani’s death in an uncommon public message.
“Without a doubt, the assassination of such a figure attests to his importance and to the hatred that the enemies of Islam harbour toward him,” he said, France24 reported.
“Every drop of spilled blood comes at a price, and the criminal murderers of these martyrs will soon have to pay it.”
The statement was shared through Khamenei’s official Telegram channel. He has not appeared publicly since, fueling speculation that he may have been seriously injured in the blast that killed his father and is now believed by some to be “in hiding.”
Speaking to USA Today, Hadi Ghaemi—founder and executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI)—said the leader is “maybe being kept in hiding, which only adds more uncertainty and speculation to his whereabouts”.
Meanwhile, Euro News reports that Yousef Pezeshkian, son and adviser to President Masoud Pezeshkian, wrote on his Telegram channel that Khamenei is in a “safe and in a secure location”.