Iran intensified threats against its West Asian neighbours last week, warning that it would "black out" the region if the United States attacked its power plants, two officials told AFP.
According to the officials, Tehran conveyed the warning through intermediaries and identified specific targets it could strike in retaliation. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Iran warns of retaliation across Gulf
"Iran threatened to black out the Gulf, country by country, if Trump attacked its power plants," a Gulf official told AFP. Another regional official confirmed that such messages had been conveyed.
Iran had issued similar threats publicly earlier, but the latest warning was "very serious", the Gulf official said, adding that it included "a long list of targets they would attack".
The officials said Tehran warned that any US attack on Iranian power plants would prompt retaliatory strikes against similar facilities in the Gulf.
The Gulf official said Iran's message included threats to target power plants and water desalination facilities. Much of the largely desert region depends on desalination for drinking water.
Trump called off planned US strikes
The warning came after US President Donald Trump threatened a major attack on Iran. He later called off the planned strikes over the weekend, citing requests from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, as well as hopes for progress in talks.
Trump said the proposed strikes would have been "the biggest attack since World War II". US media reported that he had been considering attacks on energy infrastructure, which he has repeatedly threatened to target.
In mid-July, Trump had threatened to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant for every attack on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran responded by warning of an "eye for an eye" response.
After Trump called off the strikes, Saudi Arabia said Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman had spoken to the US President in a call aimed at easing regional tensions.
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Gulf faces continuing attacks
The Gulf has faced the brunt of Iranian attacks during the Middle East war, with strikes targeting US assets as well as civilian infrastructure, including energy sites, ports and airports.
Sporadic attacks continued after a ceasefire was agreed in April and a subsequent memorandum of understanding was reached in June.
However, exchanges of fire intensified in scale and frequency after the ceasefire collapsed in July, with Kuwait and Bahrain emerging as the main targets.
