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Iran escalated its war rhetoric on Friday, with a top military spokesman warning that “parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations” worldwide would no longer be safe for its enemies, a threat that signals a potential expansion of targets far beyond conventional battlefields.The warning came from Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi as Tehran remains under sustained US and Israeli airstrikes nearly three weeks into a war that has already killed several of Iran’s top military and political leaders and battered its weapons and energy infrastructure.In a statement carried by Iranian state television, Shekarchi said, “From now on, based on the information we have about you, even parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations anywhere in the world will no longer be safe for you.”Iran’s military signalled it could pursue American and Israeli officials beyond active conflict zones, including during travel or leisure. “We are watching your cowardly officials and commanders, pilots and wicked soldiers,” Shekarchi said, adding that “promenades, resorts and tourist and entertainment centres” would also be targeted.The remarks renewed concerns that Iran may revert to militant or asymmetric attacks outside the Middle East as a pressure tactic, even as Washington and Tel Aviv claim their strikes have significantly degraded Tehran’s military capabilities.In a statement published by Iranian state television, Shekarchi said, “From now on, based on the information we have about you, even parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations anywhere in the world will no longer be safe for you.”Iran’s military signalled it could pursue American and Israeli officials beyond active conflict zones, including during travel or leisure.“We are watching your cowardly officials and commanders, pilots and wicked soldiers,” Shekarchi said, adding, “From now on, based on the information we have on you, the promenades, resorts and tourist and entertainment centres in the world will not be safe for you either.”The remarks are likely to heighten concerns that as the conflict drags on, Iran could revert to using militant or asymmetric attacks outside the Middle East as a pressure tactic against its adversaries.The latest threats came as Iran continued to demonstrate its ability to strike back, launching attacks on Israel and energy infrastructure across Gulf Arab states even as the region marked religious observances and Iran celebrated Nowruz, the Persian New Year — a typically festive period that has been subdued this year.Despite weeks of bombardment, the full extent of damage to Iran’s nuclear, military and energy facilities remains unclear, with limited information emerging from inside the country. Questions also persist over command structures after the killing of several top leaders, including Iran’s supreme leader in the early days of the war.The US and Israel have offered shifting objectives for the campaign — ranging from dismantling Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes to triggering an internal uprising — but there have been no visible signs of regime instability or an imminent end to hostilities.Even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Iran’s navy had been sunk and its air force crippled, Iran pushed back. Revolutionary Guard spokesman Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini said Tehran continues to manufacture missiles despite the war. “We are producing missiles even during war conditions… and there is no particular problem in stockpiling,” he said, before Iranian state media later reported he had been killed in an airstrike.Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in a rare statement, said Iran’s enemies must have their “security” taken away — reinforcing the broader threat posture.The conflict has increasingly spilled into the wider Gulf region, with Iran stepping up attacks on energy infrastructure after Israeli strikes on its South Pars gas field.Two waves of Iranian drones hit Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery — one of the largest in the region — sparking fires and raising fears over supply disruptions. Bahrain reported a fire after debris from an intercepted projectile landed on a warehouse, while Saudi Arabia said it shot down multiple drones targeting its oil-rich Eastern Province.Explosions were also reported over Dubai as air defence systems intercepted incoming projectiles, while sirens and blasts were heard in Jerusalem following Iranian missile launches. Israel has also expanded strikes to Syria and continued targeting Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, further widening the theatre of conflict.The war’s toll continues to mount, with over 1,300 people reported killed in Iran, significant casualties in Israel and the West Bank, and widespread displacement in Lebanon.The escalating conflict is now triggering alarm over a potential global economic shock.The International Energy Agency warned earlier in the day that the crisis could lead to the largest disruption in the history of the global oil market, with flows from the Gulf, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, potentially taking months to stabilise.IEA chief Fatih Birol cautioned that governments and markets may be underestimating the severity of the disruption, as Iran’s attacks on energy infrastructure and its ability to choke shipping routes threaten to send prices sharply higher.Brent crude has already surged to around $107 per barrel, up more than 40% since the war began, with ripple effects spreading across global supply chains: from fuel and food to critical industrial inputs like fertilisers and semiconductor materials.In response, the IEA urged governments to move beyond supply-side interventions and adopt immediate demand-reduction measures. These include promoting remote work, lowering highway speed limits, restricting private vehicle use, expanding public transport and carpooling, and curbing air travel.The agency also flagged the need for industrial and household adjustments, from optimising petrochemical fuel use to encouraging alternatives to LPG, stressing that coordinated global action will be key to cushioning consumers as the conflict threatens to upend energy markets worldwide.