Trump Strangles Iran with "State Terrorism" – Mojtaba Khamenei Speaks Out
Iran has strongly condemned a new wave of US economic sanctions, describing Washington’s policy as a form of “state terrorism”. At the same time, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has prohibited actions deemed capable of damaging “social cohesion” amid concerns that mounting economic pressure could trigger domestic unrest.
The US-Iran war has now entered its sixth month without resolution. Negotiations between the two countries remain deadlocked, while the administration of US President Donald Trump is increasing economic pressure on Tehran through a policy referred to as “D-Day economics”.
The latest sanctions add to the burden on Iran’s war-battered economy. Iran’s annual inflation reached 66% last month.
Meanwhile, the impasse over the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most sensitive points of conflict. Before the war broke out, the shipping lane handled around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.
Washington has previously warned countries to reduce business ties with Iran or face secondary sanctions. However, the US Treasury Department has so far not actually imposed penalties on those countries.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday (28/8/2026) that all countries are obliged under international law to reject the application of US sanctions against Tehran.
Iran even described Washington’s latest move as a “crime against humanity” that could endanger the health and lives of millions of civilians.
Amid the pressure, Khamenei has urged Iranian officials to maintain national unity.
Khamenei, who was injured and has not been seen in public since the 28 February attack that killed his father, issued a written statement on Friday.
In the statement, he said he had prohibited officials from “doing anything that undermines social cohesion”.
Khamenei delivered the message to the leadership ranks, which include clerical, military and civilian government elements. He also asked officials to avoid statements that could worsen the public’s psychological condition.
He specifically warned against “discouraging statements that weaken national and public motivation”.
The appeal comes amid concerns that growing financial pressure on Iran’s war-ravaged economy could spark street demonstrations.
Khamenei also asked the government to take concrete steps to address the worsening economic difficulties caused by the war.
“There needs to be a serious effort to address the range of economic and livelihood challenges, such as inflation, unemployment, price management and the market for goods and services,” Khamenei said in his statement, as reported by Reuters.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country’s foreign trade has shrunk by almost 35% due to US sanctions and the naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Pezeshkian also said Iran sold around 90 million barrels of oil during the brief period of the memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran in June. During that period, Washington permitted Iranian oil sales.
Washington’s economic pressure is not only targeting Iran, but also its trading partners.
The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Banque Misr, one of Egypt’s major banks, for doing business with Tehran. Washington has also proposed rules that could stop the bank’s branch in the United Arab Emirates from transacting in US dollars.
Egypt’s central bank said it and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have communicated with US officials on the matter.
Egypt stressed that the measure only applies to US dollar transactions conducted by Banque Misr UAE with correspondent banks.
Separately, US Treasury officials also imposed sanctions on one Hong Kong-based entity and one individual linked to Bank Melli Iran.
The move is part of Washington’s strategy to pressure countries that are Iran’s trading partners.