Iran Warns Neighbours Against Joining US Sanctions Campaign
National security adviser Mohsen Rezaei said any state that participates will be treated as an enemy. The warning comes as Washington prepares what it calls the toughest sanctions in history.
Tehran1 min read
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Iranian national security adviser Mohsen Rezaei warned neighbouring countries on August 22 that joining the United States economic pressure campaign against Tehran would make them enemies. He said Iran would target the interests of any such state and could strike American oil and economic companies in response.
The statement followed indications that the Trump administration is preparing a new round of sanctions described by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as the toughest in history. Details of the package are expected early in the week.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly shared maps depicting the Strait of Hormuz as United States territory. Iran has dismissed the claim and maintains that the waterway remains closed to certain traffic until Washington changes its behaviour.
The warning arrives while Pakistan continues mediation efforts, with army chief Asim Munir scheduled to visit Tehran on August 24. An earlier memorandum of understanding signed in Islamabad in June has not prevented limited renewals of hostilities.
Iraq has been among the countries most affected by Iran's effective restrictions on Hormuz traffic. Tehran has granted permission for a limited number of Iraqi oil tankers to pass, illustrating the selective leverage it retains over regional energy flows.
The combination of threatened secondary sanctions and Iranian retaliation threats raises the risk of a broader economic confrontation in the Gulf. Markets and shipping insurers are already pricing in higher premiums for voyages through the strait. The next concrete moves from Washington and Tehran will determine whether the confrontation remains limited to sanctions or expands into more direct interference with commercial shipping.
