Iran Threatens 'Earthquake' Response to US Economic Sanctions

The United States is set to announce unprecedented economic sanctions against Iran, described by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as the largest financial attack ever launched against a rival. In response, Iranian officials have warned of a powerful countermeasure they liken to an "earthquake." President Donald Trump recently declared that "Iran is collapsing," prompting Tehran to issue stern warnings. Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, stated that Iran's retaliation will be seismic and cautioned neighboring countries against joining the US sanctions, threatening to block oil exports from the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz if they do. He also indicated Iran would target other oil export routes in the Gulf.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the US sanctions as a sign of American desperation, asserting that these measures will not defeat Tehran and that the US has shifted from military actions to old sanction strategies. Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei criticized the sanctions as a failed approach that harms ordinary Iranian citizens and violates fundamental principles of international relations and national sovereignty as outlined in the United Nations Charter. The escalating rhetoric underscores the deepening economic and political confrontation between the US and Iran, with significant implications for regional stability and global oil markets.