Iran warned nations against participating in the United States’ economic war, declaring that any country joining the restrictions will be treated as an enemy and face direct retaliation, according to state television reports.
The warning arrives as the United States pushes international allies to isolate the Iranian economy, pushing toward the six-month mark of escalating hostilities. Mohsen Rezai, head of Iran’s supreme national security council, delivered the broadcast message on state television, stating that Tehran would actively target the interests of countries that refuse to distance themselves from Washington’s policies.
“We declare to all countries; do not join the economic war waged by the United States,” Mohsen Rezai said on state television. “Any country participating in the imposition of economic restrictions against us is considered an enemy.” Rezai added that if such countries fail to distance themselves from the United States, Iran will harm their economic interests.
The security chief insisted that Tehran retains unused military and economic leverage, asserting that Iranian forces have largely avoided striking economic targets thus far. “So far, we have only targeted military bases, but if they want to impose economic sanctions on us, the United States has oil and economic companies around Iran and elsewhere, and we will strike them,” Rezai threatened, warning that any further action from US President Donald Trump would prompt a confrontation “like an earthquake.”
International Pushback and Regional Supply Disruptions
Washington has actively pressured foreign governments to align with its isolation strategy, specifically targeting China among Iran’s primary trading partners. Beijing has openly criticized the US initiative, arguing that American sanctions will not resolve the underlying conflicts in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, regional trade ties are already severing. The United Arab Emirates announced that it is suspending all trade and financial transactions with Iran until further notice. Concurrently, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent scheduled a press conference to outline what administration officials describe as the toughest sanctions in history against the Iranian state.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei criticized the impending US measures in a post on X, characterizing secondary economic sanctions as an unlawful assertion of extraterritorial sovereignty over United Nations member states. “Such secondary sanctions find no foundation in international law,” Baghaei stated.
Strait of Hormuz Traffic and Oil Flow Impact
Maritime traffic through the critical Strait of Hormuz remains heavily constrained. While the United States military has effectively blockaded Iranian vessels in port, hundreds of ships and thousands of seafarers remain stranded in the area. Ship-tracking data showed that only four commodity ships navigated the strait, with zero large crude carriers or liquefied natural gas tankers among them.
Despite the broader bottleneck, Iran granted special permission for a limited number of Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the waterway following diplomatic requests. According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, securing transit permission for Iraqi tankers was a central focus during a visit to Iraq by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright noted that the US military has facilitated the movement of a seven-day average of 8 million barrels of oil per day through the strait. That volume represents a steep drop from pre-war figures exceeding 20 million barrels per day, which previously accounted for roughly one in every five barrels consumed globally.
Strategic Capabilities and U.S. Stance
Although US military operations have severely damaged Iran’s economy, navy, and air force, the nation retains substantial missile and drone stockpiles capable of disrupting regional tanker traffic and threatening neighboring rivals. Ali Abdollahi, the armed forces chief of staff, recently highlighted ongoing domestic ballistic missile production during a tour of an underground manufacturing facility.
President Donald Trump addressed the diplomatic stalemate, stating that the United States is closely monitoring developments. “They would love to make a deal, but they’re not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion,” Trump said, reiterating earlier warnings of economic consequences for any nation providing financial lifelines to Tehran.