Iran threatens global targets as US deploys forces; oil prices surge amid energy attacks

Nearly three weeks into a war that has killed Iran's supreme leader and decimated its military infrastructure, Tehran is doubling down. On Friday, as Iranians marked both Nowruz—the Persian New Year—and one of Islam's holiest days, the country's military spokesman issued a stark warning: parks, recreational areas, and tourist destinations worldwide would no longer be safe for what Iran considers its enemies. The threat signaled a potential shift toward the kind of militant attacks beyond the Middle East that had largely receded in recent years.

Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, released a written statement read on state television defending the nation's resolve. He dismissed the US and Israeli premise that killing top leaders could topple the government, and praised Iranians for mounting what he called a "bewildering blow" that had left the enemy confused. Khamenei has not appeared in public since assuming power following his father's death in Israeli strikes at the war's outset; US and Israeli officials suspect he was wounded in those same attacks. The uncertainty about who truly holds power in Tehran has only deepened the fog surrounding the conflict's trajectory.

Meanwhile, the United States was moving to reinforce its position in the region. The Pentagon deployed three additional amphibious assault ships—including the USS Boxer—along with approximately 2,500 Marines to the Middle East, according to a US official who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The buildup reflected American concern that the conflict could expand or that Iran might attempt strikes against US interests or allies.

On the ground, Iran's capacity to inflict economic damage remained undiminished despite weeks of airstrikes. Two waves of Iranian drones struck the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery in Kuwait early Friday, igniting a fire at one of the Middle East's largest facilities, capable of processing 730,000 barrels of oil daily. The refinery had already been damaged in an Iranian attack the previous day. In Bahrain, shrapnel from an intercepted projectile sparked a warehouse fire. Saudi Arabia reported shooting down multiple drones aimed at its oil-rich Eastern Province. Over Dubai, air defenses lit up the sky as they intercepted incoming fire while residents observed Eid al-Fitr. In Tehran itself, explosions echoed across the capital as Israel announced fresh strikes, and in Jerusalem, sirens wailed as Iranian missiles approached, leaving two elderly residents lightly wounded.

The attacks on energy infrastructure, combined with Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz—through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil transits—have sent shockwaves through global markets. Brent crude, the international benchmark, had climbed to $108 per barrel by Friday, nearly double the roughly $70 it commanded before the war began on February 28. The price surge is already rippling through supply chains far beyond the Middle East. Helium, essential for computer chip manufacturing, and sulfur, a raw material in fertilizer production, face potential shortages as shipping routes remain disrupted. These bottlenecks threaten to raise consumer prices for goods across industries.

The human toll has been staggering. More than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran during the fighting. Israeli strikes in Lebanon have displaced over 1 million people, with the Lebanese government reporting more than 1,000 dead; Israel claims it has killed more than 500 Hezbollah militants. In Israel itself, 15 people have been killed by Iranian missile fire, with four additional deaths in the occupied West Bank from the same strikes. At least 13 US military members have also died.

Yet the war's stated objectives remain murky. US and Israeli leaders have offered shifting rationales—from hoping to spark an uprising that topples Iran's government to eliminating its nuclear and missile programs. There are no public signs of any such uprising. Iran's military spokesman, General Ali Mohammad Naeini, defiantly claimed Friday that missile production continued unabated even amid the bombardment. Hours later, Iranian state television announced he had been killed in an airstrike. The claim itself—that Iran can manufacture advanced weapons while under sustained assault—remains disputed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that Iran's navy had been sunk and its air force crippled, and that its ballistic missile production capacity had been destroyed. Iran's Revolutionary Guard immediately contradicted the missile claim.

With little reliable information emerging from Iran about the true state of its military and political leadership, the conflict has entered a phase defined by mutual claims, escalating threats, and economic consequences that extend far beyond the region's borders. The war shows no signs of ending, and each side appears committed to raising the stakes.