Iran on Wednesday warned the United States that any attack on its underground nuclear or sensitive facilities would trigger a wider regional war, after President Donald Trump said Washington would “soon” target the heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site.
In one of Tehran’s strongest warnings since the conflict with the United States escalated, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the operational command of the Iranian Armed Forces, said an attack on Iran’s nuclear or other strategic facilities would be treated as “an expansion of the war in the region.”
In a statement issued early Wednesday, the military headquarters accused Washington of threatening Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and warned of sweeping retaliation.
“If the aggressor and terrorist US military takes such action, Iran will consider it an expansion of the war in the region,” the statement said, adding that “all interests of the United States, its allies and supporters” would come under “powerful attacks” by the Iranian Armed Forces.
The warning came hours after Trump, during a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, said the United States would strike Iran’s Kuh-e Kolang (Pickaxe Mountain) facility “pretty soon.”
The mountain complex, located near the Natanz nuclear site, is believed to house advanced uranium-enrichment centrifuges and part of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile deep underground, as per Western and Israeli intelligence .
Military experts has already cautioned that targetting the heavily fortified facility would be among the most difficult nuclear sites to destroy through conventional air strikes.
The threat marked another escalation in the nearly two-week-old conflict, as the United States carried out an 11th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military targets.
Iranian state media reported fresh attacks on several cities, including Tabriz, Behbahan, Bushehr, Mahshahr, Sirik, Chabahar and Konarak, while air defences were activated over Tehran. Video verified by international media showed flames and thick smoke rising near an airport in Behbahan following overnight strikes.
The conflict has also intensified beyond Iran’s borders. Jordan said its air defences intercepted four Iranian drones, while two other projectiles landed in remote areas without causing casualties.
Tehran has stepped up attacks on Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain in recent days, all of which host US military bases.
The growing hostilities have rattled global energy markets. Brent crude rose nearly 4% to trade above $94 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate climbed around 4%, amid fears that the conflict could disrupt oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
Adding to market concerns, Iran-backed Houthi rebels threatened to target Saudi vessels using Red Sea routes that have become a critical alternative to Hormuz for the kingdom’s oil exports.
The military escalation comes as the financial cost of the war continues to mount. Testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the conflict has already cost the United States $37.5 billion, although analysts believe the actual figure could be significantly higher as combat operations continue.
Despite repeated questions from lawmakers, Hegseth declined to outline an exit strategy, saying only that the administration’s objective was to ensure “Iran never has a nuclear weapon.”
With Trump now openly signalling another strike on one of Iran’s most sensitive nuclear facilities and Tehran warning that such an attack would widen the conflict, fears are growing that the confrontation could expand into a broader regional war involving multiple US allies in the Middle East.
