Iran Threatens Harsh Response to Anticipated US Sanctions

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei warned that the country will respond harshly to expanded US sanctions, including measures against countries seen as cooperating with Washington.

The new head of Iran's top security body also stated that any country supporting the sanctions would be viewed as an 'act of war.'

Iran has been pushing for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's traded oil passes, in exchange for lifting the US naval blockade and withdrawing US forces from the region.

The country's economy has adapted to sanctions over the decades by finding new trading partners and building domestic industries, but prices of basic goods have historically increased.