Iran on Saturday rejected planned US sanctions, warning that the measures could further weaken its economy and affect key trading partners, including China.
The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is expected to announce what he has described as some of the toughest sanctions against Iran. Washington has also urged China to cooperate, as Beijing remains the main buyer of Iranian oil.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned the planned measures as an attempt to extend US authority beyond its borders, saying secondary sanctions had no basis in international law.
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Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned neighbouring countries against supporting Washington’s economic pressure campaign.
“We are telling all nearby countries not to join the US economic war, otherwise we will consider them as enemies,” Rezaei said on state television.
US President Donald Trump has threatened economic consequences for countries providing support to Iran. He said on Friday that Tehran wanted a deal but was not prepared to accept what he considered the right terms.
Hormuz Traffic Nearly Halted
The sanctions threat comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted, with hundreds of vessels and thousands of seafarers stranded in the strategic waterway.
Only four commodity ships passed through the strait on Thursday, according to ship-tracking data, and none were large crude oil carriers or liquefied natural gas tankers.
Iran has, however, allowed several Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the waterway following repeated requests from Baghdad, Iranian state media reported.
The Strait of Hormuz normally carries more than 20 million barrels of oil a day, equivalent to about one-fifth of global consumption. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US military had helped move an average of 8 million barrels of oil a day through the strait.
The conflict has severely damaged Iran’s economy and military capabilities, but Tehran retains missile and drone capacity that could disrupt tanker traffic and threaten regional targets.
Iranian armed forces chief of staff Abdollahi highlighted the country’s missile production capabilities during a visit to an underground ballistic missile facility.
Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Tehran had received several messages from neighbouring countries seeking new regional security arrangements and greater economic cooperation.
Qalibaf called for an independent regional security structure, accusing Washington of putting its regional allies at risk in support of Israel.
The conflict has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran, while the US has reported more than 750 military personnel wounded and 18 killed.
Despite Tehran’s continued defiance, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for a diplomatic solution, saying it would be preferable to end the conflict while Iran remained in a position of strength.
