ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has appeared to soften its language on targeting civilian infrastructure in Gulf countries following a US threat to strike Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened within 48 hours from Saturday night.
Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz since February 28, when the US and Israel began an extensive aerial campaign targeting military sites across the country. The closure has put pressure on global energy markets, as nearly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies pass through the chokepoint, resulting in a sharp rise in prices.
Tehran initially responded strongly to the ultimatum issued by US President Donald Trump on Saturday, but appeared to moderate its tone on Monday as the 48-hour deadline approached.
In a statement, the IRGC said it had not targeted any desalination plants in the Persian Gulf and accused the US military of striking five water facilities, including a desalination plant, on Iran’s Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz.
The Guards described a potential US attack on Iran’s power plants as an “inhumane act,” warning it would have serious consequences for hospitals, emergency centers, water networks, and desalination facilities.
But Trump on Monday said in a post on Truth Social that over the past two days, the US and Iran have had "VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS REGARDING A COMPLETE AND TOTAL RESOLUTION OF OUR HOSTILITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
IRGC members march during a military parade in Tehran on September 22, 2018. Photo: AFP
Middleeast23/03/2026
IRGC appears to backtrack from threats against Gulf countries
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The IRGC"s statement coincided with remarks in Arabic from Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, which coordinates Iran’s military response, addressed to “Muslims brothers of the region” and people of Palestine and Gaza.
“The Islamic Ummah and the people of Palestine have always been alive in the conscience of the Iranian people,” Zolfaqari said. “We tell you that today we are not fighting only to defend ourselves, nor merely to avenge the blood of our own martyrs, but also to defend the oppression endured by the Islamic nation and the Palestinian people.”
However, the IRGC warned that if the US follows through on its threat, “Iran will, in retaliation, target the power plants of the occupying regime and the power plants of regional countries that supply electricity to US bases, as well as economic, industrial, and energy infrastructure in which Americans hold shares.”
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