Iran says any country joining US economic war to be considered ‘enemy’

Tehran: Iran’s top security official Mohsen Rezaei warned that any country participating in the US economic war against Iran will be considered an “enemy” by Tehran.

Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, made the remarks on Saturday in an interview with state-run IRIB TV.

He said Iran would first negotiate with such countries and ask them to stay out of the conflict, but warned that if they refuse, Tehran will strike their interests, and that 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.”

He noted that Iran has learned how to bypass US sanctions and continue oil sales over the years, Xinhua news agency reported.

Rezaei also repeated that the Hormuz Strait will remain closed unless the United States fulfills its commitments under the Iran-US peace memorandum of understanding signed in June, adding that Washington must act first this time.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that the US anti-Iran economic operation is doomed to fail like its other coercive measures against the country.

“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 posted on social media platform X.

The remarks came after US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday “the most crushing economic operation ever taken” against any country providing a lifeline to Iran, describing it as an “economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale.”

“This will be Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale,” Trump posted on Truth Social, calling the move “an ECONOMIC D-DAY.”

On June 18, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the war in the region on all fronts, including Lebanon. Under the MoU, they were scheduled to hold negotiations within a period of 60 days, which ended on Monday, to reach a final agreement, but the talks’ fate remains unclear following the escalation between the two countries last month.

IANS