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Iran security chief Mohsen Rezaei warned that Tehran could halt all oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz if the US economic war continues.
Iran has warned it could halt all oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz if the US economic war continues. (Photo: Reuters)
Iran has warned that it could halt all oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf if the United States continues what Tehran calls an “economic war” against the country.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei issued the warning as Washington prepared to announce a fresh round of economic sanctions targeting Iran and its trade partners.
“If the economic war continues, not a single drop of oil will be exported, neither through the Strait of Hormuz nor from anywhere in the Persian Gulf,” Rezaei said in a post on X, according to news agency ANI.
Rezaei also warned that Iran would consider any country participating in or supporting the US economic campaign against Tehran to be committing an “act of war.”
US Prepares Fresh Economic Offensive Against Iran
The warning came as the United States threatened what it described as a major new financial offensive against Iran.
Reuters reported that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday amid promises of tougher economic measures targeting Iran’s trade partners.
In an opinion piece published in the Financial Times on Sunday, Bessent described the upcoming measures as “the single greatest financial offensive ever marshalled against an adversary,” Reuters reported.
Without detailing the specific measures, Bessent signalled that Washington would target countries continuing to engage with Iran’s economy and financial system.
He warned what he called “fearful nations” practising “appeasement” by maintaining economic ties with Tehran to consider the consequences.
Iran has been preparing for the sanctions announcement and has issued a series of strongly worded statements in response.
Tehran Warns Sanctions Supporters Of ‘Act Of War’
Rezaei’s warning specifically extended beyond the United States to other countries that could support or participate in Washington’s economic campaign.
“Iran will regard any country’s participation in or support for America’s economic war against the Iranian people as an act of war,” he said.
Reuters reported that Bessent had previously urged China to cooperate with the United States, noting that China receives half of its oil imports from the Gulf region.
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A spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington responded that “sanctions and pressure do not help resolve the problem” and called for diplomacy.
Iranian Leaders Step Up Criticism Of US Pressure
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also mocked the latest US sanctions threat in a post on X, using satire to argue that heavy-handed economic restrictions could ultimately backfire.
Ghalibaf referred to the “Iran boomerang”, accompanying his remarks with a four-panel comic depicting a giant boomerang labelled “the most crushing economic operation ever” being thrown and then returning to strike the person who launched it.
Meanwhile, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson Sardar Mohebi described Washington’s reliance on economic pressure as a tacit admission of what he called a “humiliating defeat” on the military front, ANI reported, citing IRIB.
“The US President says that he has ordered economic warfare and has launched the most severe economic war against Iran. This is a tacit admission of the enemy’s humiliating defeat in the military arena,” Mohebi said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei also criticised the sanctions threat, saying that war and sanctions were “not unfamiliar” to Iran.
According to ANI, Baghaei noted that Iran has been under sanctions for 20 years.
Oil Exports And Strait Of Hormuz At Centre Of Tensions
Reuters reported that Iran’s economy was already under pressure from international sanctions before US and Israeli attacks damaged parts of its infrastructure.
The country is now also dealing with disrupted trade, lost production, damaged infrastructure and rebuilding costs.
Reuters further reported that Iran has retained enough missile and drone capability to attack Gulf neighbours and threaten oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, contributing to a near-standstill in shipping through the key waterway and putting pressure on global fuel prices.
The exact state of Iran’s nuclear programme remains unknown, Reuters reported, while the United States and Israel seek to eliminate it.
The latest confrontation comes as the US and Iran have not conducted military strikes against each other for weeks but have also not held meaningful talks to end the six-month-old conflict.
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Key Questions Answered
Ask News18Iran has warned it could halt all oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz if the United States continues its “economic war” against the country. This threat comes as the US prepares to announce new economic sanctions targeting Iran and its trade partners.
Ask News18About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
August 24, 2026, 06:42 IST
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