'If they take any step…': Iran threatens retaliation over plan to 'occupy island by enemies'

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued a stark warning on Wednesday (March 25), saying Tehran has received intelligence suggesting that adversaries may be planning to seize one of Iran’s islands with backing from a regional country. “Based on some intelligence reports, Iran's enemies are preparing to occupy one of the Iranian islands with support from one of the regional states,” Ghalibaf wrote in a post on X in both Persian and Arabic.

He added that Iranian forces are closely tracking developments and warned that any hostile move would trigger severe retaliation against critical infrastructure in the supporting country. “Our forces are monitoring all enemy movements, and if they take any step, all the vital infrastructure of that regional state will be targeted with relentless, unceasing attacks.” At the same time, Donald Trump has reportedly ordered the deployment of additional airborne troops and Marines to the Gulf region, fueling speculation about a possible ground operation. Analysts believe such a move could aim to capture Iranian oil facilities or secure the vital Strait of Hormuz.

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One potential focal point is Kharg Island, a critical terminal responsible for the majority of Iran’s crude exports. Trump previously described it as a “little oil island that sits there, so totally unprotected”. Earlier the same day, an unnamed Iranian military official warned domestic media that Tehran could retaliate by targeting maritime traffic in the Red Sea if a ground assault occurs. Such action would significantly broaden the conflict and threaten global trade routes.

Iran maintains ties with Yemen’s Houthi movement, which has previously carried out attacks on vessels passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key gateway linking the Red Sea to the Suez Canal. “If the enemy attempts a ground operation on Iranian islands or anywhere else on our territory, or if it seeks to impose costs on Iran through naval manoeuvres in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, we will open other fronts as a 'surprise',” the official said.\

“The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is among the most strategic straits in the world, and Iran has both the will and the capability to pose a fully credible threat against it.” Meanwhile, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply amid rising tensions, affecting nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. Oil prices have surged to about $100/ per barrel, with International Energy Agency describing situation as “the largest supply disruption in history of the global oil market”.

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