Iran shrugs of Trump’s sanctions threat, vows retaliation in Gulf to further hit oil exports
Iran has threatened retaliation against any expansion of US economic sanctions, while insisting that its major trading partners will resist Washington’s efforts to isolate Tehran. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf dismissed the latest US pressure campaign, arguing that the United States does not have the economic leverage to further restrict Iran’s relations with other countries.
His comments came after the administration of US President Donald Trump announced fresh measures aimed at cutting off Iran’s economic lifeline, warning of an “economic D-day”.
US sanctions warning to Iran’s trading partners
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the new measures on Monday, warning countries that continue to trade with Iran that they could face restrictions that would potentially cut them off from the dollar-based global financial system. However, Bessent stopped short of imposing the most severe sanctions immediately.
He did not disclose which of Iran’s trading partners could be targeted or when the penalties would take effect, saying countries would be given time to comply with the new directive.
The US Treasury Department separately announced sanctions against 60 individuals, entities and vessels linked to Iran. However, the measures did not include Chinese financial institutions suspected of facilitating Iran’s oil trade. China remains Iran’s biggest trading partner and a key buyer of its oil.
Iran’s response to US sanctions threat
Responding to Washington’s announcement, Ghalibaf said Iran’s trading partners had already made clear that they would not give in to US pressure. “Americans know that no one buys their bombast,” he said in a post on X, adding that the United States was not in an economic position to further restrict Iran’s relations with other nations.
Iranian Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh also said Tehran was prepared to deal with the new sanctions. He accused Iran’s adversaries of attempting to launch an “economic terrorist attack” but warned that Iran had its own economic tools and knew how to respond. “Our defence is no longer so defensive; the enemies should wait for an attack,” he said in comments to state television.
Latest on US-Iran war
Madanizadeh claimed that both China and Russia had not accepted the new US measures and predicted that other countries would also resist Washington’s demands. Tehran has repeatedly argued that unilateral US sanctions cannot prevent it from maintaining economic relations with key partners.
Iran had also threatened a broader response even before the latest sanctions were announced, including the possibility of military retaliation and further reductions in oil exports from the Gulf. The latest confrontation therefore raises the prospect of both economic and geopolitical escalation if Washington moves ahead with penalties against countries continuing to trade with Iran.
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