Iranian military warns to indefinitely close Strait of Hormuz if US bombs energy facilities

TEHRAN: As the conflict between US-Israel and Iran enters its fourth week, the Iranian Armed Forces headquarters has said that it is ready to close the Strait of Hormuz “indefinitely” if the United States threatens to bomb Iranian energy facilities, CNN reported.

With escalating tensions, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned the United States against any misadventures towards Iran and said that if the country’s energy facilities come under attack, American financial entities which finance the military budget, energy and critical infrastructure in the region would be considered legitimate targets for Tehran.

The Iranian armed forces in a statement on Sunday, issued the latest warning and underlined retribution lest its power industry is affected. This comes as the US President on Saturday said that he would bomb Iranian infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz was not open to shipping in the next 48 hours. US Centcom said that U.S. forces are destroying Iranian naval targets that threaten international shipping in and near the Strait of Hormuz.

Responding to Trump, CNN reported that Iranian military on Sunday said that the Strait of Hormuz would remain completely closed and not reopen until Iran’s destroyed power plants are built. It further reported that the Iranian military said that all Israeli energy and communications infrastructure would be targeted, with “power plants of regional countries hosting US bases will be legitimate targets for us,” the military headquarters added.

Previously, on Sunday, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said in a post on X warned of consequences and said that all critical, energy and oil infra and facilities in the region would be considered legitimate targets and destroyed irreversibly should Iranian facilities be under fire.

“Immediately after the power plants and infrastructure in our country are targeted, the critical infrastructure, energy infrastructure, and oil facilities throughout the region will be considered legitimate targets and will be destroyed in an irreversible manner, and the price of oil will remain high for a long time. And throw down what is in your right hand; it will swallow up what they have made”, he said.

بلافاصله پس از هدف قرار گرفتن نیروگاه‌های برق و زیرساخت در کشورمان، زیرساخت‌های حیاتی و زیرساخت‌های انرژی و نفت در سراسر منطقه اهداف مشروع تلقی شده و به نحو بازگشت‌ناپذیر منهدم خواهند شد و قیمت نفت برای مدت‌ها بالاتر خواهد رفت. وألقِ ما في يمينك تَلْقَفْ ما صَنَعوا.

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) March 22, 2026

He also warned that financial entities that finance US military budgets would be considered legitimate targets. “Alongside military bases, those financial entities that finance the US military budget are legitimate targets. US treasury bonds are soaked in Iranians’ blood. Purchase them, and you purchase a strike on your HQ and assets. We monitor your portfolios. This is your final notice.”

Alongside military bases, those financial entities that finance the US military budget are legitimate targets. US treasury bonds are soaked in Iranians’ blood. Purchase them, and you purchase a strike on your HQ and assets.

We monitor your portfolios. This is your final notice.

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) March 22, 2026

Meanwhile, the Israeli Defence Forces on Monday have begun a fresh wave of strikes on targets in Iran, as per a report by the Times of Israel. In its statement the IDF said, “IDF launches a wave of extensive strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in Tehran.

The Times of Israel reported that no injuries were reported after damage was caused at several locations in central Israel after cluster munitions hit the area following Iran’s latest ballistic missile attack.

Earlier, the IDF said that it had targeted several security bodies in Iran in a wide-scale wave of strikes. Among them was a military base used for training soldiers and storing missile systems intended to target aircrafts, a weapons production and storage facility of the Ministry of Defence, a weapons production site of the IRGC’s Air Force, the HQ of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and the emergency HQ of the Internal Security Forces.

Times of Israel also reported that on Sunday, fifteen people were injured when an Iranian ballistic missile dropped cluster munitions in central Israel. Damage was caused to several homes and roads by the impacts. In Jaffa, a projectile struck a residential building, and an impact in Petah Tikva started a fire in a residential area, but no one was seriously injured.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the US and Israel would continue to act against Iran. Netanyahu visited Arad, which was hit by Iran on Sunday.

The Prime Minister’s Office said in a post on X, “Iran continues to prove why they are an enemy to civilization and the free world, while now posing a direct threat to European countries. Israel and the U.S. will continue to act with great force against the Ayatollah terror regime.” (ANI)