Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued a stark warning on Saturday against joining a planned US economic campaign, threatening to retaliate against regional oil routes and economic interests as Washington prepares to unveil severe new sanctions nearly six months after the onset of the conflict.
The standoff between Tehran and Washington escalated sharply as Iranian officials responded to a renewed economic offensive announced by the United States. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned neighboring states and international powers against participating in the impending American measures according to regional reporting.
The US Economic Campaign and Tehran’s Seismic Warning
US President Donald Trump announced what he termed an economic D-Day against Iran, threatening sweeping penalties against any country, financial institution, business, or government entity that provides a lifeline to Tehran. The initiative aims to target oil smuggling, cash transfers, currency exchanges, financial swap lines, ship registries, and front companies. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pledged that Washington would make the Iranian economy collapse through upcoming measures scheduled to be detailed on Monday.
In response, Rezaei delivered a blunt broadcast interview on Iranian state television, declaring that nations aligning with the US economic pressure would be treated as adversaries.
We declare to all the countries around us and all the countries of the world: do not join the economic war carried out by the United States. Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, via Elwatan
Rezaei cautioned that if neighbors joined the American campaign, Iran would shut down petroleum exports from the Gulf and target alternative export routes while threatening wider retaliation. He drew a distinct line regarding past and future targets, noting that while military bases were the primary focus during the initial months of the conflict, economic interests would now enter the crosshairs.
We have not yet attacked any American economic interest and, until now, we have only targeted military bases, but if they want to impose economic sanctions on us, the United States has oil and economic enterprises around Iran and elsewhere, and we will strike them. Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, via Elwatan
Rezaei added a direct warning regarding the American president, stating that if Donald Trump carries out an action against Iran, the confrontation will resemble an earthquake.
Strait of Hormuz Tensions and Regional Fallout
The diplomatic collision over economic sanctions unfolds against a tense backdrop in the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has faced severe disruptions since an Israeli-American attack against Iran in late February. While Trump maintained that the naval blockade is fully operational and that oil tankers continue to transit via alternative paths along the coast of Oman, Tehran has tied the full reopening of the waterway to specific conditions.
Meanwhile, diplomatic realignments are shifting across the region.
International Diplomatic Pushbacks and Economic Stakes
China, which acquires a vast majority of its imported Iranian crude through strategic trade channels, criticized the American pressure campaign, maintaining that sanctions and pressure cannot resolve Middle East conflicts.
The unfolding economic battle introduces significant volatility into global markets.
