Tehran, Aug 2026 : Iran’s top security official Mohsen Rezaei has warned that countries supporting or participating in the United States’ economic pressure campaign against Tehran could be considered “enemies”, escalating tensions amid stalled diplomatic efforts and continuing uncertainty over the future of the Iran-US conflict.
Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, issued the warning during an interview with state-run IRIB television on Saturday. He said Tehran would initially seek dialogue with countries involved in the US-led economic campaign and urge them to remain outside the confrontation.
However, he warned that Iran could retaliate if those countries refuse to stay out of the conflict and begin supporting measures aimed at restricting Iran’s economy.
“If surrounding countries choose to join the US siege, Iran will not let even a single drop of oil be exported from the Strait of Hormuz,” Rezaei said, according to Xinhua news agency.
The remarks highlight the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor through which a significant share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally passes.
Rezaei also said Iran had gained extensive experience in circumventing US sanctions and maintaining its oil exports despite years of economic restrictions. He indicated that Tehran would continue relying on those mechanisms to withstand Washington’s latest pressure campaign.
The Iranian official reiterated Tehran’s position that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed unless the United States fulfilled its commitments under a memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries in June. According to Rezaei, Washington must take the first step toward implementing the agreement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also criticised the latest US measures, arguing that Washington’s economic campaign would ultimately fail like previous attempts to pressure Tehran into making concessions.
“14 years ago: ‘Most crippling sanctions in history.’ Failed. 8 years ago: ‘Maximum pressure.’ Failed. 5 months ago: ‘Unconditional surrender.’ Failed. Today: ‘Most crushing economic operation ever.’ Bound to fail,” Araghchi wrote on social media platform X.
His remarks followed US President Donald Trump’s announcement on Wednesday of what he described as the “most crushing economic operation ever taken” against countries providing economic support to Iran.
Trump characterised the campaign as an unprecedented effort to isolate Tehran and warned countries that continue providing a lifeline to Iran. He described the measures as “economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale” and referred to the move as an “economic D-Day”.
The latest escalation comes amid uncertainty over a June 18 memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the conflict across the region, including Lebanon.
Under the agreement, Washington and Tehran were expected to begin negotiations within 60 days to work towards a final settlement. That deadline expired on Monday, but the diplomatic process remains uncertain following renewed tensions between the two sides last month.
Iran’s latest warnings indicate that Tehran remains prepared for confrontation while keeping open the possibility of negotiations. The focus on the Strait of Hormuz, meanwhile, adds another major dimension to the dispute, given its importance to international energy markets and global trade.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
