Iran will target Israeli energy and gas facilities if Israel retaliates, Iran’s semi-official SNN news agency said on Friday, citing Revolutionary Guards deputy commander Ali Fadavi.

“If the occupiers make such a mistake, we will target all energy sources, facilities and all refineries and gas fields,” Fadavi said.

It is noted that on Thursday, US President Joe Biden said that “discussions” are underway about possible Israeli strikes on Iranian oil facilities, following Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israeli soil on Tuesday.

To the question “Do you agree with Israeli strikes on Iran’s oil infrastructure?” the American president replied: “We are discussing this matter. I believe it would be a little…” without finishing his sentence.

Immediately after Biden’s statement, the price of oil rose sharply. At around 17:50 (Greece time), US WTI crude reached $73.12 a barrel (+4.34%), while North Sea Brent was up 3.95%, reaching $76.81 a barrel.

Khamenei: We will not delay, nor will we rush to answer

“Muslim nations have a common enemy,” declared Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Mossala Grand Mosque in central Tehran, holding a memorial service for slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as part of Friday prayers. This is the first public sermon for the first time in five years. Iran’s supreme spiritual leader appeared holding a rifle.

“We will not delay, nor rush to answer Israel (…) If God wills, we will destroy it” threatened. “Every blow to the Zionist regime is a service to all humanity,” declared the leader of the Iranian revolution.

“The excellent action of our armed forces a few nights ago (missile attack) was absolutely legal and legitimate,” he argued.

“The Muslim nations must belt the belt of independence from Afghanistan to Yemen, from Iran to Gaza and Lebanon… Every country has the right to defend itself against aggressors, the Palestinian nation has the right to resist against the enemy that destroyed it life,” he said of Israel.

The Quran’s policy with Muslims is that Muslim nations should have solidarity with each other, Iran’s religious leader stressed.

“If the enemy achieves his goals in a country, will attack other countries. When they are satisfied with what they did in one country, they go to another country. Every country wants not to be taken over by the enemy, so it has to be smart from the beginning. When the enemy goes to another country, he must help it.”

“Zionists pretend to win through assassinations and killing civilians.” Hezbollah’s defense of Gaza is a vital service to the Islamic world, he added.

A large crowd of Iranians, many of them from the province, thronged the area outside the Mossala Grand Mosque.

Delivering part of Khamenei’s sermon was in Arabic to address the entire Islamic world, and “especially to the beloved nation of Lebanon and Palestine,” his account had announced earlier.

Meanwhile, Israel carried out a “surgical bombing” in Beirut on Wednesday night against the head of Hezbollah’s executive committee Hashim Safieddin, three Israeli officials said.

Hashim Safieddin was the frontrunner to succeed Hassan Nasrallah as Hezbollah leader. An Israeli official said he was in a shelter, well below the ground, and it was not yet clear if he was killed in the attack.