- Iran's IRGC warned the US that its response may extend beyond the Middle East
- IRGC also threatened to target oil and gas infrastructure, affecting US and its allies
- Iran claimed missile and drone strikes on US and Israeli bases in the region
Iran's elite Guards have threatened to take the war beyond the Middle East, in a warning to the US as it ramps up attacks on Tehran's energy assets and critical infrastructure ahead of a deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
"If the American terrorist army crosses the red lines, our response will be beyond the region. We have not been and will not be starting an attack on non-civilian targets; however, we will not hesitate to retaliate against the despicable aggressions on civilian facilities," said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in its latest communication.
The IRGC also threatened to target infrastructure that would "deprive the US and its allies of oil and gas in the region for years."
"America's regional partners should also know that until today, we have exercised great restraint for the sake of good neighbourliness and have had some reservations in choosing targets for retaliation, but all these reservations have since been removed," the Iran Guards said.
The statement also carried an update from Iran's side on the 'wave 99' of what the Islamic nation calls 'Operation True Promise 4', a series of strikes on the American and Israeli hubs across the Middle East.
Read: "Whole Civilisation Will Die Tonight": Trump's Big Threat To Iran
The "bases and interests" of the US in the Persian Gulf region and Strait of Hormuz and military centres and command control in Israel were targeted with ballistic and cruise missiles and attack drones, the IRGC claimed.
Two petrochemical complexes belonging to American companies in Saudi Arabia were also targeted with medium-range missiles and several suicide drones, Iran Guards said. It claimed that an Israeli container ship tasked with delivering military equipment was also precisely struck during an intelligence operation.
Iran's warning came as reports of explosions rang out on Kharg, a small island in the Persian Gulf that serves as Tehran's most vital oil facility, with Axios sources attributing the explosions to strikes by the US military.
Read: Explosions On Strategic Kharg Island, Bridge Hit In Central Iran: Reports
The island, which handles nearly 90 per cent of Iran's oil exports, and any further escalation threatens to unsettle global energy markets.
The explosions precede a deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Iran to reach a ceasefire deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump had earlier threatened to blow up or seize Kharg multiple times and, in a recent warning, asserted that one night was enough to "take out entire Iran."
