Article By David Hawkins
Israel has issued a blistering warning to Iran that another attack on the Jewish state will trigger a devastating response targeting the Islamic regime’s military, civilian, and energy infrastructure.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared Thursday that Tehran would effectively remove all remaining restraints on Israel’s military if the regime launches another strike.
“An Iranian attack on Israel would free Israel from any existing limitations on attacking Iran,” Katz said.
“We will cripple all of Iran’s national military and civilian infrastructure — including energy infrastructure — and return Iran deep into the Stone Age and darkness,” he added.
Israel Puts Tehran on Notice
Katz delivered the warning while addressing Israeli Defense Ministry employees as tensions across the Middle East continue to escalate.
The defense minister said Israel is prepared for an Iranian attack, with defensive systems on alert and the Israel Defense Forces ready to respond offensively.
Katz also warned that Iran’s increasingly desperate economic position could make the Islamic regime more dangerous.
With Tehran facing mounting financial pressure and the threat of renewed unrest at home, Katz warned that Iran’s rulers could resort to “desperate measures.”
His warning follows the most intense exchange of attacks between the United States and Iran since July.
American forces struck targets along Iran’s southern coast this week before Tehran retaliated against U.S. military installations across the Middle East.
The escalating confrontation has placed Israel on heightened alert as the Iranian regime considers its next move.
Trump’s Economic Pressure Crushes Iran
At the same time, President Donald Trump’s campaign to choke off the Iranian regime’s financial lifelines is inflicting severe damage on Tehran’s already battered economy.
The Trump administration has moved aggressively to blockade Iranian oil exports and shut down the sanctions-evasion networks Tehran has relied upon for years.
Three senior Iranian sources said the mounting pressure is becoming increasingly difficult for the regime to withstand.
Iran spent decades finding ways around Western sanctions, but Washington’s latest measures have left Tehran with fewer options to obtain foreign currency and purchase critical goods.
The administration is also targeting Iran’s access to international financial networks in countries that have previously helped keep the regime’s economy afloat.
Perhaps most damaging is the U.S. blockade of Iranian oil exports, which has cut Tehran off from its primary source of revenue.
Meanwhile, more energy is moving through the Strait of Hormuz despite Iran’s attempts to disrupt the critical global shipping route.
Economic Crisis Deepens
Iran was already battling a severe economic crisis before the current conflict.
The rial has plunged to record lows, inflation has soared, and months of military strikes have left Tehran facing an enormous reconstruction bill for damaged infrastructure and industry.
The financial squeeze is even making it more difficult for Iran to evade sanctions because the regime has less money available to pay the premiums demanded by illicit networks.
One senior Iranian source said the country has only another two months’ supply of gasoline.
Despite being a major oil producer, Iran relies on gasoline imports because it lacks sufficient domestic refining capacity.
The deteriorating economy presents another potentially existential problem for the Islamic regime: renewed revolt among the Iranian people.
Iran’s rulers remain acutely aware of the danger after nationwide demonstrations erupted in January and were met with a brutal crackdown that killed thousands of protesters.
Ali Ansari, a modern history professor at St Andrews University in Scotland, said the pressure is leaving Tehran with increasingly limited options.
“They are under very, very severe economic pressure,” Ansari said.
“They’re losing control of the Straits.
“It’s really a question of if they choose to negotiate, and I think they’ll have to.”
With Trump squeezing Tehran financially and Israel warning that another attack could bring destruction on an unprecedented scale, Iran’s rulers are facing mounting pressure on virtually every front.
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