Iran warned countries around the world Saturday not to participate in President Donald Trump’s escalating economic campaign against Tehran, threatening to treat governments that cooperate with Washington’s restrictions as enemies while declaring that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed.
Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, delivered the warning in comments aired by Iranian state television as the regime confronted a sweeping new American effort aimed at further isolating and crippling the Iranian economy.
“We declare to all countries… do not join the economic war waged by the United States,” Rezaei said.
“Any country participating in the imposition of economic restrictions against us is considered an enemy,” he added.
Rezaei also threatened a severe Iranian response if Trump moves from economic pressure to renewed military action against the Islamic Republic.
Should Trump “take action, our confrontation will be like an earthquake,” he said.
The Iranian official made clear that Tehran also has no immediate intention of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the critical maritime passage that has been at the center of the confrontation.
“The Strait of Hormuz is closed and will not reopen,” Rezaei declared. “If the United States changes its behavior and fulfills its commitments, the equation will be different, but this time the United States must act. It cannot be resolved through words and talks.”
Rezaei said Iran and Oman have reached an understanding regarding what he described as a “middle route” through the strategic waterway, although the two governments have not yet completed a joint statement outlining the arrangement.
The threats came just days after Trump unveiled a massive new economic offensive against Iran, announcing Wednesday that Washington would seek to tighten financial pressure on Tehran and penalize countries that help keep the Iranian economy afloat.
Trump described the campaign in a Truth Social post as “an economic D-Day,” portraying the measures as an effort to cripple the Iranian regime financially and prevent it from rebuilding its ability to threaten the United States and its allies.
“These maniacs are on the ropes, and these HISTORIC MEASURES will cripple them and their ability to project terror worldwide. IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” he wrote.
Trump stressed Friday that the decision to intensify economic warfare should not be interpreted as taking military action off the table.
“No, not at all,” the President replied to reporters when asked if the shift towards economic warfare means that the military options are limited. “It just means that we’re seeing what happens. They have no money, they have no navy, they have no air force, they have 350% inflation. So we’re just going to sort of see what happens.”
The president also asserted that the United States holds overwhelming leverage over Iran and the region surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
“We have total control, as you know, of the border. We have total control, if you look at the blockade, we have total control of that entire region having to do with the Strait of Hormuz. And that means well into it, the land areas,” Trump continued.
Trump said Tehran remains interested in reaching an agreement with Washington, but argued that Iranian leaders have not yet agreed to terms that he considers acceptable.
He said Iran “would love to make a deal, but they are not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion.”
{Matzav.com}
