Iran has warned it will retaliate against expanded US sanctions that Washington says will cut off the regime’s economic lifeline.
Even so, Iran Economy Minister has dismissed the Trump administration’s new ‘economic D-Day’ sanctions as bound to fail, warning that they ‘know how to play the game’ and have a two-year plan in place.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled the measures he likened to ‘economic D-Day’ on Monday but stopped short of the most punishing sanctions, saying countries that continued trading with Iran risked being forced out of the dollar-based financial system.
Tehran has said they are ‘prepared’ for these sanctions with a ‘two–year plan (that covers the rest of Trump’s presidency) to manage these events’ and have even warned that their ‘enemies should wait for an attack’.
Although Bessent declined to identify the countries that would be targeted or reveal when the penalties would take effect, Tehran expressed confidence that major trading partners would resist Washington’s pressure campaign.
The US Treasury Department announced ‘the toughest sanctions in history’ on 60 individuals, entities and vessels, but the list did not feature any of the Chinese financial institutions suspected of facilitating Iran’s oil trade.
Before the news, Iran threatened both a possible military response and further reduction in oil exports from the Gulf in retaliation for any upcoming US economic measures.
After they were unveiled, Iranian Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh said, ‘We are fully prepared for the US sanctions.’
He told state television: ‘Naturally, the enemies intend to launch an economic terrorist attack on us, but we also have our own tools and know how to play the game. Our defense is no longer so defensive; the enemies should wait for an attack.’
