Iranian officials have responded to Trump administration threats of intensified economic measures by arguing that such tactics demonstrate American military failure. Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator with the United States, stated that Washington and Israel have abandoned military strategies in favor of economic and cognitive warfare because they cannot succeed through traditional military means. This statement came during a visit to Iraq.
The Trump administration has announced plans for what it describes as unprecedented economic isolation of Iran. President Trump promised “the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country” on Friday, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iran would face “the greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world.” Bessent indicated that secondary sanctions targeting countries rather than just individual entities would be deployed, potentially affecting nations that conduct business with Iran.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi characterized the economic strategy as “economic terrorism” designed to deflect attention from U.S. domestic economic challenges. The United States maintains extensive existing sanctions that restrict international trade with Iran, and recently expanded restrictions on refineries and oil purchasers in June. These new measures emerge as diplomatic negotiations remain completely stalled following the expiration of a 60-day memorandum of understanding.
The threat of secondary sanctions has raised particular concerns regarding China, the largest purchaser of Iranian oil. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman called for negotiations instead of sanctions. Bessent acknowledged China’s substantial oil purchases from Iran but declined to specify whether the country would face sanctions.
Experts suggest Iran’s government, particularly ideological hard-liners, may prioritize regime survival over economic considerations, potentially limiting the effectiveness of economic pressure strategies. Bessent is scheduled to hold a press conference to outline implementation details of the administration’s economic measures.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI