Iran vowed to retaliate against expanded US economic sanctions targeting its economy, with a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps official warning of heavy blows to American interests and global energy chokepoints should Tehran's infrastructure come under threat.
The warning from IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi, reported by Reuters citing Press TV, followed US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's unveiling on Monday of "Operation Economic Outcast."
Bessent said countries continuing to trade with Tehran risked being forced out of the dollar-based financial system, though he declined to name targets, saying Washington would give them time to comply.
The Treasury separately sanctioned 60 individuals, entities and vessels, notably excluding Chinese financial institutions suspected of facilitating Iran's oil trade.
Moreover, Iranian Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh struck a defiant tone, telling state television, "We are fully prepared for the US sanctions," and adding that Tehran's posture was no longer purely defensive.
He said neither China nor Russia had accepted the American measures and predicted other nations would resist the pressure campaign as well. Iran also threatened a possible military response and further cuts to Gulf oil exports.
The escalation comes nearly six months after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, a conflict that has degraded much of Tehran's conventional military capacity and killed the country's then-Supreme Leader.
Thousands of people have died, most of them in Iran and Lebanon, with no diplomatic resolution in sight despite a lull in major strikes in recent weeks.
China's Foreign Ministry dismissed the sanctions and pressure tactics as unhelpful, vowing to protect Beijing's interests.
Separately, Pakistan's army chief held talks with Iran's president in Tehran on Monday as part of a renewed mediation push, days after speaking with US President Donald Trump.
ALSO READ: Bessent Unveils 'Economic D-Day Sanctions' To Cripple Iran, Warns Global Trading Partners
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