US Warns Countries Against Economic Ties with Iran Ahead of Major Sanctions

Ahead of the anticipated "economic D-Day" announced by US President Donald Trump, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin issued a stern warning to countries cooperating economically with Iran. In an op-ed published overnight in the Financial Times, Mnuchin described the upcoming measures as the largest financial assault ever, set to begin at dawn. He cautioned that any nation serving as a safe haven for terrorism or maintaining economic links with Iran would face global isolation and intensified economic sanctions. Mnuchin emphasized that both intentional cooperation and willful ignorance of Iran's activities would accelerate the economic ostracism of those countries and entities.

Mnuchin refrained from naming specific collaborators but highlighted Iran's network of proxies that perpetuate terrorism, including those who buy and transport its oil, facilitate financial flows through exchange houses and free trade zones, allow flights, and manage records for Iran. He warned that Tehran would face a firm response if it retaliated against the sanctions. Mnuchin also urged countries to sever financial and trade ties with Iran, stating this would rejuvenate their own economies and underscored the US goal to cut off all economic lifelines sustaining the Iranian regime.

In response, Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei threatened that if the economic war continues, no oil would flow from the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that any aggressive US actions or cooperation by neighboring countries with the sanctions would be met with force, interpreting such support as acts of war.

Meanwhile, maritime data from monitoring firm Kpler showed that fewer than 20 commercial vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past two days, with traffic volumes remaining significantly below normal. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that ships have canceled or rerouted their passages due to recent attacks, maintaining a low level of maritime activity in the strategic waterway.