Iran threatens US and Israeli-linked banks amid escalating conflict: 'Enemy is forcing our hand'
TEHRAN, IRAN: Iranian officials warned on Wednesday, March 11, that banks across the Middle East linked to the United States and Israel could become targets as tensions escalated in the ongoing conflict.
The warning came after Tehran alleged that US and Israeli forces had targeted one of its financial institutions.
The announcement was delivered by a spokesperson for Iran’s central military command, who also urged civilians to avoid such locations. The threat came as both sides exchanged sharply different assessments of how long the conflict could last.
Iran expands threats beyond military targets to banks
An Iranian military spokesperson said Tehran could begin targeting financial institutions in the region connected to the United States or Israel, framing the move as a response to what they described as an attack on an Iranian bank.
“Following their failed campaign, the ... US army and cruel ... regime (Israel) have targeted one of the country's banks,” Iranian state media quoted Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for the Republic’s central military command, as saying.
He added that the alleged attack on the financial institution could prompt retaliation against similar targets in the region.
"With this illegitimate and uncommon action, the enemy is forcing our hand to target economic centers and banks linked to the US and the regime in the region,” Zolfaqari said.
The spokesperson also issued a warning to civilians, advising them to keep their distance from financial institutions that could become targets. He urged people to stay at least one kilometer, or roughly half a mile, away from banks across the region as a precaution.
The statement marked a shift in Iran’s messaging by expanding the potential scope of targets beyond military installations to include economic infrastructure connected to the United States and Israel.
Officials in Washington and Jerusalem have not publicly responded to the threat.
Iran signals readiness for prolonged conflict
Iranian officials also indicated that the country was prepared for a prolonged conflict despite statements from the United States suggesting that the war could soon end.
Ali Fadavi, an adviser to the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said that the country was ready for a “long-term war of attrition.”
Israel and the United States “must consider the possibility that they will be engaged in a long-term war of attrition that will destroy the entire American economy and the world economy, and will cause all of its military capabilities to be eroded to the point of destruction,” Fadavi said in remarks broadcast on Iranian state television.
