40 energy assets 'severely' damaged in Mideast war: IEA chief
The head of the International Energy Agency said Monday that at least forty energy assets had been "severely or very severely" damaged in the Middle East due to the war in the region.
"At least forty... energy assets in the region are severely or very severely damaged across nine countries," Fatih Birol told the National Press Club in Australia's capital.
Meanwhile, Iran has threatened to strike energy sites across the Middle East after US President Donald Trump warned that he would attack Iranian power plants if Tehran does not reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, posted on X on Sunday that critical infrastructure and energy facilities in the region could be "irreversibly destroyed" if Iranian power plants are targeted.
"Immediately after power plants and infrastructure in our country are targeted, vital infrastructure, as well as energy and oil facilities across the entire region, will be considered legitimate targets and will be irreversibly destroyed," Ghalibaf wrote.
He added that Tehran's retaliation would raise regional oil prices "for a long time."
The remarks followed Trump's statement on Saturday, in which he said the US would "obliterate" Iran's power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened within 48 hours.
Source: AFP, Al Jazeera