‘If you start a war, you won’t be able to finish it’: Iran envoy warns US against targeting infrastructure

Amid escalating tensions in West Asia, Iran’s Ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali issued a stark warning against any attacks on Iranian infrastructure, cautioning that a wider conflict could spiral beyond control.

“We said that if you start a war, you won’t be able to finish it. And we have said again: if you target our infrastructure… learn from past mistakes,” Fathali said, in remarks that underscore Tehran’s increasingly hardening stance.

The statement comes at a time when hostilities involving Iran, the United States and Israel have intensified, with growing concerns over strikes on energy facilities and critical civilian infrastructure.

Fathali’s warning reflects a broader Iranian position that attacks on strategic assets -- particularly in the energy sector -- could trigger severe retaliation and expand the scope of the conflict.

In recent days, the envoy has repeatedly emphasised Iran’s readiness for both negotiation and confrontation, while maintaining that escalation risks destabilising not just the region but global energy security.

His remarks also align with signals from Iran’s military establishment, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has warned that any escalation could extend beyond the immediate theatre of conflict and impact critical infrastructure across the region.

With tensions mounting and rhetoric sharpening on all sides, diplomatic observers say such statements indicate a narrowing window for de-escalation, as both deterrence signalling and risk of miscalculation rise in parallel.