Ghalibaf Warns US Over Regional Energy Infrastructure
In a post on X, Ghalibaf quoted a warning attributed to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said the United States would target Iranian oil tankers if Iran attacked American ships.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Monday warned the United States that American oil and gas companies and energy infrastructure across the region could be targeted if Washington strikes Iranian assets.
In a post on X, Ghalibaf quoted a warning attributed to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said the United States would target Iranian oil tankers if Iran attacked American ships.
Ghalibaf responded by warning that any U.S. attacks on Iranian assets would expose American energy interests in the region to retaliation.
The exchange comes amid heightened military tensions between Iran and the United States. Ghalibaf has also said a previously discussed ceasefire is “meaningless” because of what he described as U.S. violations.
He separately warned that Iran’s response to attacks would no longer be limited to proportional retaliation, saying Tehran would respond more quickly and with greater force to any future strikes.
The remarks add to growing concerns over the potential impact of further escalation on energy infrastructure and oil and gas operations across the region.
U.S. forces have periodically attacked Kharg Island, the main hub for nearly 90 percent of Iran's oil exports. Iran's Persian-language news agency reported last Saturday that an Iranian oil tanker on the island had been struck by a U.S. missile.
Kharg Island is located about 26 kilometers off Iran's coast and approximately 483 kilometers northwest of the Strait of Hormuz. The waters surrounding the island are deep enough for large oil tankers to anchor, as their size prevents them from approaching the shallower waters along Iran's main coastline.