Iran Threatens Retaliation After US Attack on Kharg Island

The Iranian regime warned it would retaliate if the United States or Israel attacked its oil and energy infrastructure, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Araghchi was asked, during a March 14 interview on MS Now, about Iran’s response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s remark that the United States spared oil facilities in its recent attack on Kharg Island—Tehran’s most vital economic asset, from where 90 percent of its oil is exported.

“I think our armed forces have already answered that they would retaliate if our oil and energy infrastructure are attacked, and they will attack any energy infrastructure in the region which belongs to an American company or [if] an American company is a shareholder,” Araghchi responded.

The threat comes after the United States hit over 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island on March 13, according to U.S. Central Command.

The United States spared the oil and energy infrastructure on the island during Friday’s attacks and only targeted naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites, according to the U.S. Central Command.

President Donald Trump said on March 13 that he would reconsider striking Iran’s energy resources on the island if the regime or any other country interfered with the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil and gas operations in the Strait of Hormuz have been heavily impacted since the United States and Israel attacked the Iranian regime on Feb. 28, killing dozens of senior officials, including Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz isn’t completely closed off.

“The Strait of Hormuz is open,” Araghchi said on Saturday.

“It is only closed to the tankers and ships belonging to our enemies, to those who are attacking us and their allies. Others are free to pass. Of course, many of them prefer not, because of their security concerns. This has nothing to do with us.”

Trump wrote on Truth Social on March 14 that countries “affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait” would be sending warships to the region to keep the waterway safe.

“We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability, but it’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close-range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are,” Trump said.

“One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!”

Trump added he hoped China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom would send ships to the area.

“In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water,” Trump wrote.