If you hit our electricity, we'll strike back: Iran warns Israel as war widens

As the Middle East war, now in its fourth week, enters a dangerous phase, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Monday threatened tit-for-tat strikes on Israeli power plants if the Jewish nation hits the Islamic Republic's electricity infrastructure.

In a statement, the IRGC said any attack on Iran’s power sector would be met with retaliation not just against Israel, but also against power facilities in regional countries supplying electricity to US bases, Al Jazeera reported.

“What we have done is to announce our decision that in the event of an attack on power plants, Iran will retaliate by targeting the power plants of the occupying regime (Israel) and those supplying power to American bases,” the statement said, adding that economic, industrial and energy infrastructure linked to the US would also be in its crosshairs.

“You hit our hospital, we didn’t do that. You hit our aid centres, we didn’t do that; you hit our schools, we didn’t do that. But if you hit the electricity, we will hit the electricity,” the IRGC said.

The statement appeared to dial back earlier threats targeting desalination plants across the Gulf – critical for drinking water supply in the region – even as it maintained that Iran would respond “at the same level” to any escalation.

Iran also pushed back against remarks by US President Donald Trump, accusing him of falsely claiming that Tehran intended to target desalination infrastructure to create hardship in neighbouring countries.

“The lying US President has claimed that the Revolutionary Guards intend to attack the water desalination plants and cause hardship to the people of the countries in the region,” it said.

The warning follows a fresh ultimatum from Trump, who said on Saturday that the US could strike Iranian power plants if Tehran failed to fully reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

IRAN GOES ALL-OUT TO ATTACK US, ISRAEL

Meanwhile, according to Israeli-based KAN News, Iran has shifted from a posture of “regional defence” to a more aggressive strategy, marked by expanded strikes and threats. These reportedly include missile attacks targeting energy infrastructure in Gulf states, barrages toward Israel’s Dimona region, and a strike at a US base on Diego Garcia, about 4,000 km from the battlefield, which was nearly targeted on Saturday.

The KAN News report also pointed to a broader escalation by Iran, including threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, impose transit fees and widen the conflict by involving allied groups such as the Yemen-based Houthis. Additional potential targets cited include locations in Doha and even Al Jazeera's headquarters.

Sources familiar with internal developments in Tehran suggest that hardline elements are increasingly shaping decision-making, with a willingness to sustain the conflict despite rising civilian and economic costs, according to The Jerusalem Post.

As sanctions tighten and the war strains Iran’s economy, pressure is mounting domestically. However, reports indicate that these challenges are unlikely, at least for now, to alter the leadership’s course as the conflict enters a more volatile phase.

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