Tehran is threatening to respond to a new US and Israeli air campaign with strikes on an expanded list of targets, including civilian infrastructure, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
The warnings, issued publicly and via diplomatic communications, indicated that Iran would attack not only U.S. bases and warships, but also natural energy infrastructure, gas pipelines, airports and other civilian targets in the Persian Gulf region.
Tehran has also threatened to use a new range of weapons, including nuclear bombs.
According to Iran Internationala media outlet opposed to the regime, the chairman of the international affairs committee of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad-Saleh Jokar, asked “the authorities of the Islamic Republic, for the defense of the country and for the purposes of deterrence, to authorize the use of deterrent weapons, including nuclear weapons, in the event of an American attack against Iran.”
Jokar called for the suspension of Iran’s cooperation with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in the event of an attack by the United States, according to Iran International.
He said countries welcoming the United States into their territory or airspace would face a “harsh response” and “pay a heavy price.”
Iran maintains a stockpile of hundreds of thousands of missiles and drones
Analysts, according to the WSJ, estimate that Iran has hundreds of thousands of ballistic missiles, having resumed production in underground facilities.
Iran is apparently exploiting its stockpile of missiles and drones – which remains at significant levels even after Operation Roaring Lion, Operation Epic Fury and the subsequent blockade of the country – in an effort to deter an attack.
In the most recent fight against Iran, significant damage was inflicted on U.S. air bases, embassies and fleets throughout the region. Energy and industrial facilities in the United Arab Emirates, as well as gas plants and airports in Qatar, Dubai, Kuwait and Bahrain were also affected.
Tehran aims to cause even more suffering if the campaign resumes, particularly at a time when interceptor missile stockpiles are under pressure in Israel and US-aligned Gulf countries following a period of suspension of hostilities.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote an article in the Financial Timeswarning that further attacks “will put at great risk the lives of civilians and the well-being of all states in the region and the global economy.”
Despite the fact that much of Iran’s weapons stockpiles and defensive capabilities have been degraded in recent operations (the Pentagon has said that up to 90% of drones, missiles and naval industry have been destroyed), analysts told the WSJ that Iran is more than willing to expand its retaliatory efforts.
IRGC risks putting too much effort into retaliation
“The consensus in Tehran now holds that deterrence requires imposing immediate, lasting and substantial costs on adversaries,” said Sina Toossi, an expert on Iran at the Center for International Policy.
“Iran runs the risk of going too far if it tries to carry out all its threats,” Revolutionary Guard expert Saeid Golkarat told the newspaper. WSJ. The country must carefully manage its dwindling missile stock, he said.
“They certainly have the capacity to inflict major damage on the region’s energy and internet infrastructure,” said Farzin Nadimi, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute. “But if the Iranians do this, they will most likely lose theirs in reciprocal attacks.”
Negotiations have been deadlocked for months and U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Iran that failure to reach a deal could lead the United States to attack Iran after midterm elections in early November.
Israel has also stepped up preparations for possible strikes against the Islamic regime in recent weeks, with conflicting reports claiming the IDF planned to strike Iran on October 10 before being overthrown by US President Donald Trump.
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