US Warns Iran of 'Economic D-Day' Amid Threats to Halt Oil Exports
Washington has announced plans to intensify economic pressure on Iran as part of its campaign against Tehran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the measures as an 'economic D-Day' and warned that countries supporting Iran's oil trade, financial transactions, and fuel transfers could face serious consequences.
Bessent stated that the US aims to sever Iran's remaining economic lifelines and impose penalties on those continuing to deal with the Islamic Republic. He emphasized the need for intensified economic pressure to push Tehran back towards negotiations.
Iran has rejected the planned sanctions as illegal and warned countries supporting the US economic campaign could be treated as participating in an 'act of war'. Senior Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran could stop all oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf if the economic pressure continues.
The threat comes as oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have already virtually halted. China, which bought more than 80 per cent of Iran's shipped oil in 2025, has called for diplomacy. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also backed a diplomatic solution, while parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf acknowledged the pressure on Iran's economy.
Bessent warned that if Iran responds to the economic measures with military force, US President Donald Trump would respond 'swiftly and decisively'. The US is expected to announce details of the new measures at a news conference on Monday.