By Micah Jonah, March 13, 2026
Iran has warned the United States against escalating the ongoing conflict after President Donald Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s electricity infrastructure if hostilities intensify.
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said any attempt to strike the country’s power systems would trigger severe retaliation across the region.
“If they do that, the whole region will go dark in less than half an hour,” Larijani said in a statement, warning that American military personnel in the region could become targets if the war expands.
The remarks came after Trump claimed the United States had largely neutralized Iran’s military capabilities since the conflict began on February 28, when Washington and Israel launched joint air strikes on Iranian targets.
According to the United States Central Command, nearly 6,000 targets inside Iran have been struck during the military campaign. Officials said more than 90 Iranian vessels were damaged or destroyed, including mine laying ships operating in the Gulf.
Trump also warned that the US could dismantle Iran’s electricity network “within one hour,” claiming the infrastructure would take decades to rebuild.
Meanwhile, Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei called for national unity, reaffirmed that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed as part of Tehran’s strategy to pressure its adversaries.
The closure of the strategic waterway, through which roughly one fifth of global oil shipments pass, has pushed international oil prices above $100 per barrel and raised concerns about wider economic disruption.
Iran has responded to the air campaign by launching missiles and drones toward targets across the Middle East, escalating fears that the conflict could expand into a broader regional war.
