Iran threatens US, Israeli banks after airstrike kills bank employees in Tehran
Iran's military has threatened retaliatory attacks on American and Israeli financial institutions following a US-Israeli airstrike on a bank in northern Tehran that killed several employees. The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned civilians to stay at least one kilometer away from US and Israeli banks in the region.
Iran's armed forces issued a stark warning Wednesday, threatening to target American and Israeli banks across the region in retaliation for an airstrike on a financial institution in Tehran. A spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified command of Iran's armed forces, declared that Tuesday's strike on a bank in the Iranian capital represents an "illegitimate and unconventional act of war."
Bank employees killed during salary preparations
According to Iranian state media, several bank employees lost their lives in the strike on a financial institution in northern Tehran. Reports indicate the victims were working an extra shift to prepare February's month-end salary disbursements when the attack occurred, adding a particularly tragic dimension to the civilian casualties. The strike on a non-military target represents a significant expansion of targeting priorities in the conflict.
Retaliation against financial centers promised
The military spokesperson warned that the attack has granted Iran's armed forces the right to target economic centers and banks belonging to the United States and Israel throughout the region. "The Americans should await our painful retaliatory action," he declared. In an unusual public safety warning, the spokesperson urged people in countries hosting US and Israeli banks to "stay out of a one-kilometre radius of these facilities," suggesting impending strikes on financial institutions.
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Conflict continues to expand
Wednesday's threats come as the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, launched Feb. 28, has killed more than 1,200 people including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military commanders. Funeral ceremonies for slain military leaders, including former Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Pakpour, former armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mosavi, and former Defense Council chief Ali Shamkhani, are scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in Tehran. Tehran has already retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, and the threatened attacks on financial institutions would represent a dangerous new phase in the escalating conflict.
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