TEHRAN — Iran’s top security official issued a stern warning on Friday, declaring that Tehran will launch retaliatory strikes against Israel if any of its national infrastructure is targeted. The statement marks a sharp escalation in regional friction, coming in the wake of intense clashes between US and Iranian forces this week.
“Any attack on infrastructure will be retaliated against, and the criminal Zionist regime responsible for these atrocities will not be safe from the response of our fighters,” said Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, the head of Iran’s top security body, in a statement broadcast on state television.
A Fragile Peace Shattered
The renewed hostilities represent the most significant exchange of fire since June 17, when Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). That agreement was intended to formalize an April ceasefire and lay the groundwork for conclusive peace talks. However, this week's violence has put those diplomatic efforts in severe jeopardy.
Heavy US Airstrikes and Civilian Casualties
The situation escalated sharply overnight between Wednesday and Thursday when the US military launched heavy airstrikes across the region. While Washington maintained that it successfully targeted 90 military sites, Tehran presented a different account:
Targeting of Civilian Infrastructure: Iranian authorities accused the US of deliberately striking civilian infrastructure to disrupt the mourning period for the late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Logistical Disruption: Key bridges and railway links connecting the capital, Tehran, to Khamenei’s hometown of Mashhad—where he was buried on Thursday—were reportedly hit.
Casualties: Iranian officials confirmed that at least 17 people were killed in the American bombardment.
Strategic Coordination and the Threat to Bushehr
Amid the military fallout, political coordination between Washington and Jerusalem has intensified. On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with the US President, who briefed him on the latest American military maneuvers in the Gulf.
Shortly after the call, Iranian state media reported a joint US-Israeli strike targeting a military headquarters near Bushehr, the site of Iran’s only civilian nuclear power plant.
In response to the shifting dynamics, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz made it clear that Jerusalem is ready for a wider conflict, vowing that if Israel is forced to resume its military campaign against Iran, it will do so "with even greater force."
