Iran: Iran on Saturday warned countries against joining the United States campaign to isolate the Iranian economy. "We declare to all countries... do not join the economic war waged by the United States," said Mohsen Rezaei, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, on state television. "Any country participating in the imposition of economic restrictions against us is considered an enemy," he added.
According to Deutsche Welle, the warning comes as the US economic campaign against Iran approaches its six-month milestone. US President Donald Trump announced earlier this week what he called the "most crushing economic operation" against Tehran. Mohsen Rezaei cautioned that should Trump "take action, our confrontation will be like an earthquake."
Washington has also urged other governments to join its efforts to increase economic pressure on Iran. However, China, one of Iran's key strategic partners, has criticized the new campaign, arguing that "sanctions and pressure will not help resolve the issue." Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated, "China calls on all relevant parties to take responsible measures and resolve the problem through political and diplomatic means."
In a significant move, the United Arab Emirates, a major trading partner with Iran, announced on Wednesday that it was severing all financial and economic ties with Tehran until further notice. The UAE cited "escalations that undermine peace and security in the region" as the reason for its decision.
Talks between Washington and Tehran remain stalled nearly six months after the US and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on February 28. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to hold a press conference at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT) on Monday to provide further details on the economic measures against Iran. Bessent emphasized, "This is going to be the greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world. And we are going to them and saying you are either with us or against us."
Iran has faced nearly 50 years of continuous economic sanctions since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.