Iran has warned that parks, recreational areas, and tourist destinations around the world could become targets for its adversaries, while asserting that its missile production continues despite ongoing attacks.
The announcement comes nearly three weeks after joint US-Israeli strikes killed several senior Iranian officials and caused significant damage to the country’s weapons and energy infrastructure.
During this period, Iran has also carried out strikes against Israel and energy facilities in neighboring Gulf countries. The conflict coincides with Nowruz, the Persian New Year, though public celebrations inside Iran have been subdued amid rising tensions, UNB reports from AP.
With limited reporting from within Iran, the full extent of damage to its military, nuclear, and energy installations remains unclear. Leadership structures are uncertain, yet Iran has demonstrated the capacity to launch disruptive attacks, affecting global oil supplies and contributing to rising food and fuel prices.
Defiance from Tehran
Iranian military spokesman Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi warned that locations frequented by tourists and the public could be targeted in retaliation against its enemies, raising concerns about a possible widening of the conflict beyond the Middle East.
US and Israeli officials claim their recent strikes have significantly weakened Iran’s military apparatus. Reports indicate that top-ranking figures, including senior security leaders, have been killed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that Iran’s naval and air forces have been largely neutralised and that ballistic missile production has been halted. Iranian Revolutionary Guard officials have rejected these claims.
Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini, a Revolutionary Guard spokesman, said missile production is ongoing despite wartime conditions and emphasized that Iran is stockpiling weapons. He also suggested that Tehran is not seeking a rapid end to hostilities. Iranian state media later reported that Naeini was killed in an airstrike.
Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a rare statement warning that the country’s enemies should feel insecure. He has not made any public appearances since succeeding his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the onset of the conflict.
Regional attacks intensify
Iran has escalated attacks on energy infrastructure in Gulf nations following an Israeli strike on its South Pars gas field earlier this week. Early Friday, drones targeted Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery, causing a large fire.
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia also reported interceptions of projectiles and drones aimed at critical sites.
Explosions were heard in Dubai as air defense systems engaged incoming threats during Eid al-Fitr celebrations. Meanwhile, Iranians continued Nowruz festivities amid reports of Israeli strikes and explosions in Tehran. In Jerusalem, missile alerts and blasts left two elderly residents slightly injured.
Israel has expanded its military operations into Lebanon and Syria, targeting Hezbollah positions and citing attacks on Druze communities.
Rising casualties and global consequences
The human toll continues to climb. Reports indicate more than 1,300 deaths in Iran, over 1,000 in Lebanon with more than a million displaced, 15 fatalities in Israel from Iranian missile strikes, and additional casualties in the West Bank. At least 13 US service members have also died.
The conflict is intensifying risks to the global economy. Iranian operations in the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on energy infrastructure have triggered fears of a broader energy crisis. Brent crude prices have surged since the outbreak of hostilities, and rising fuel costs are contributing to higher global food and consumer goods prices.
Disruptions in the supply of key materials are expected to push costs higher across multiple industries.
