Iran issued warning to countries backing Washington’s campaign to squeeze its economy, threatening retaliation against governments that help enforce US-led economic restrictions.
Mohsen Rezai, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, called on countries to stay out of what Tehran describes as an American economic offensive against the Islamic Republic.
Rezai said governments that participate in economic restrictions against Iran would be regarded as enemies, raising the stakes for countries being urged by Washington to join efforts aimed at isolating Tehran. Iranian official went further, warning that countries refusing to distance themselves from the United States could see their interests targeted.
Rezai claimed Iran had not yet used all of its options in the confrontation with Washington. He said Tehran’s attacks so far had been directed at US military facilities rather than American economic interests. But that could change if Washington escalates economic pressure, he warned.
US-linked oil and economic companies operating in and around Iran, as well as American commercial interests elsewhere, could become potential targets if additional sanctions are imposed, he added, and issued stark warning over any further move by US President Donald Trump, saying a new escalation could trigger a confrontation on a vastly greater scale.
The warning comes as the US pushes other governments to support its campaign to isolate Iran economically, with Washington particularly seeking cooperation from major powers and trading partners.
China, one of Tehran’s key strategic partners, has rejected the US approach, arguing that additional American sanctions would not resolve the wider conflict engulfing the Middle East. But Iran is also facing pressure from a major regional trading partner.
United Arab Emirates announced on Tuesday that it was suspending trade and financial transactions with Tehran until further notice, adding another major development to the mounting economic pressure on Iran.
With Washington attempting to expand the economic squeeze and Tehran warning that countries participating in the campaign could face consequences, the confrontation is rapidly moving beyond the battlefield.
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