Iran Says Partner Countries Unaffected by US Threat to Sever Relations
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has threatened to impose new sanctions targeting countries with economic ties to Iran. Responding to the threat, Iran’s chief negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said friendly nations are unaffected by the threats from US President Donald Trump.
Ghalibaf stated that the United States is not in an economic position that would allow it to restrict its relations with other countries. “America knows that no one believes their bluff. Economically, the United States is not in a position to further restrict its relations with other countries,” Ghalibaf asserted.
Ghalibaf wrote in a post on social media platform X that “Iran’s trade partners have stated—both openly in the media and through messages sent to us—that they do not consider these statements important.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency quoted a senior Iranian intelligence source who claimed that the new US measures are primarily aimed at influencing public opinion rather than imposing meaningful new restrictions. Tasnim added that the source said the US measures are “solely based on the design of Trump’s media team” and are intended to increase “psychological pressure on the Iranian people.” Tasnim did not disclose the source’s identity.
Previously, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent postponed the ‘Economic D-Day’ operation that was said to be intended to bring down Iran’s economy. Nevertheless, he continued to threaten countries that still maintain economic relations with Tehran. Although Bessent had previously promised an Economic D-Day for Iran, the US is currently still delaying the implementation of the largest sanctions that had been threatened.
Instead, the US government said it would work with partners around the world to stop their activities related to Iran. Bessent threatened to impose new sanctions with significant impact on countries that refuse to sever economic relations with Iran, although it has not yet actually implemented such large-scale penalties.
“We assess that the best way to engage with other countries is through quiet diplomacy, and we are aligning our understanding with each country to convey our expectations,” said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “We know who they are. They also know who they are.”
In a new effort to increase pressure on Tehran, the Trump administration said on Monday that it has expanded the categories of “Iran-related activities” that could be subject to future US sanctions. The US government also plans to give specific deadlines to certain countries to end their relations with the Iranian regime.
The new sanctions cover penalties across various sectors, such as digital assets, technology, and shipping, which according to the US Treasury Department Iran has relied on to sustain its economy.