Iran will retaliate and target energy infrastructure owned by US companies if the US strikes its oil tankers, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on social media Monday.
"It's simple: the oil and gas production chain here is sprawling, accessible, and exposed. American oil and gas companies across these waters and facilities share that exposure," Ghalibaf posted on X.
"Strike our assets and you get struck."
The warning came after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a post on X on Saturday that the US will destroy Iranian tankers "if Iran shoots at US ships."
"If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost -taking out three of yours," Centcom commander Brad Cooper also warned.
The tit-for-tat threats came as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz escalated, with both countries attempting to control the waterway while a conflict resolution remains uncertain.