U.S. President Donald Trump vowed on social media Wednesday to launch against Iran what he called "the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY!
"This will be Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale," he wrote in a post on Truth Social, offering few details.
He also warned of economic consequences for any country that supported Tehran or provided "any type of lifeline to Iran."
"ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences," Trump said in a post on social media.
He did not specify what specific steps Washington would take against such a country, nor did he list any country by name. He wrote: "Oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies — It all needs to stop NOW. You know who you are."
Thousands of people have been killed in the six-month-old war, which quickly drew in countries across the Gulf. Meanwhile, global markets have been shocked as Iran flexed its ability to control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's traded oil passed before February.
The U.S. and Iran have twice announced ceasefire agreements, in April and June, designed to restore the free flow of shipping through Hormuz to pre-war levels on the way toward ending the conflict. Both quickly crumbled even as Israel largely withdrew from the fighting it launched alongside the U.S. in February.
Trump's social media threats and announcements are not always expanded or successfully acted upon as written.
Conflicting accounts of U.S.-Iran talks
On Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates, which hosts a major U.S. military base, announced it was suspending all trade activities, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice.
The announcement came after the UAE defence ministry said it had detected two missiles launched from Iran that fell into the sea, a report Iran dismissed as baseless.
China buys more than 80 per cent of Iran's shipped oil, according to 2025 data from analytics firm Kpler, but for the U.S. to engage in further economic warfare with China — a major exporter to the U.S. including of vital rare-earth minerals — risks retaliation.
On Tuesday, Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said Iran remains open to dialogue with the U.S. but does not confuse negotiations with surrender. According to the semi-official Fars news agency, Mokhber said military pressure and sanctions would not break Iran's resolve.
On Tuesday, Trump said no talks were taking place with Iran. A day earlier, Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and special envoy, struck an upbeat tone, saying talks with Iran were still underway and were "probably more robust" than ever.
(Agencies)
Leave your comments
Login to post a comment
Post comment as a guest