The warning comes as US President Donald Trump threatens to isolate Iran economically, to weaken its authorities.
Printed On 22 Aug 2026
Iran has threatened to deal with close by nations as enemies and goal their pursuits in the event that they be part of a United States marketing campaign to cripple its economic system.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Nationwide Safety Council, issued the warning in a Saturday interview with state broadcaster IRIB.
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“We’re telling all close by nations to not be part of the US financial warfare. In any other case, we’ll contemplate them as enemies,” Rezaei advised IRIB.
His remarks come on the heels of escalating financial threats from the administration of US President Donald Trump.
On Wednesday, Trump announced his authorities would undertake the “most crushing financial operation” but in opposition to Iran, as a part of ongoing hostilities between the 2 nations.
The US and Israel have been locked in a warfare with Iran since February 28, when the 2 allies launched an preliminary volley of assaults in opposition to Tehran.
Along with threatening Iran’s economic system this week, Trump pledged “large financial penalties” for any nation that provides Iran “any sort of lifeline”.
His Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, echoed his threats the next day, saying, “You’re both with us or in opposition to us.”
In Saturday’s interview, Rezaei described Iran’s regional technique as a three-stage sequence, which might begin with efforts to de-escalate tensions with neighbouring nations.
“First we negotiate. Then, we attempt to separate them from America with nice language, as a result of we aren’t actually seeking to develop the warfare,” he stated.
Any nations that proceed to aspect with the US would then be given time to rethink, he stated. “However within the third stage, we will certainly act.”
Whereas the US has not stopped its army operations in opposition to Iran, Rezaei prompt that the Trump administration was betting that financial strain would fracture Iranian society, forcing the warfare to return to an finish.
“They hope that, if doable, they’ll break our unity with financial strain and a gaggle of protesters will take to the streets, and in a approach, they may come to the help of American F-35s,” he stated, referring to a sort of army plane.
Negotiations to finish the battle have stalled in current months, following the failure of a June 17 memorandum of understanding (MoU) that referred to as for an “instant and everlasting termination of army operations”.
Management over the Strait of Hormuz, a serious delivery lane off the coast of Iran, has change into a permanent sticking level between the US and Iran.
Iran shortly moved to close down site visitors via the strait early within the warfare, sending the worth of products like oil and fertiliser skyrocketing.
International locations within the Center East that had been beforehand reliant on the strait for exports have began to pursue substitute commerce routes.
However Rezaei warned that Iran would goal these various oil-shipping routes out of the Gulf if regional states took half within the US’s plans of financial warfare.
Iran’s Ministry of International Affairs on Saturday additionally decried the incoming US measures as an assertion of “extraterritorial sovereignty” over United Nations member states.
Tehran has additionally reportedly considered widening its target list past the Center East, with media retailers reporting it may strike US allies in Europe who’ve supported Trump’s operations.
