Iran threatens to 'set region's oil and gas on fire' if its energy infrastructure is attacked

A spokesman for Iran's military central operational command (Khatam al-Anbiya) issued an explicit threat on Thursday March 12 to destroy Gulf region energy infrastructure if Iran's own energy infrastructure or ports are attacked. 'We will set the region's oil and gas on fire with the slightest attack on Iran's energy infrastructure and ports,' the spokesman said. The threat targets all Gulf states' energy infrastructure — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar — which together supply a significant share of global oil. This represents a deliberate escalation deterrent: Iran is drawing a red line around its own energy sector while warning of asymmetric retaliation that would devastate global oil markets. Combined with Supreme Leader Khamenei's Hormuz closure directive, Iran is now threatening both maritime transit and regional energy production simultaneously.