Iran warns nearby nations against joining US ‘economic war’ efforts

What the report says

Iran has warned neighboring countries not to cooperate with what Tehran calls a U.S. campaign to cripple its economy, saying states that help Washington could be treated as enemies and see their interests targeted. The warning was issued by Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in an interview with state broadcaster IRIB, according to Al Jazeera’s report based on Reuters and The Associated Press.

The comments came amid sharper economic pressure from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Al Jazeera reported that Trump said this week his government would carry out its strongest economic operation yet against Iran and warned of consequences for any country that gives Tehran support. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also echoed that hard line. Iran said those measures amount to an effort to impose pressure not only on Tehran but on other states as well.

Rezaei outlined a three-step approach that began with negotiation and efforts to persuade regional governments to distance themselves from Washington. He said Iran would give countries time to reconsider before acting if they continued to back the U.S. The report also said Tehran views control of the Strait of Hormuz and other shipping routes as a major point of tension, given the waterway’s importance for regional oil exports and trade.

The exchange underscores how economic sanctions and trade routes remain central tools in the broader confrontation between Iran and the U.S., with potential implications for neighboring countries and global energy markets.