Iran Warns It Will Halt All Gulf Oil Exports Amid US Sanctions

Iran has issued a strong warning ahead of a possible new round of major US economic sanctions, threatening to prevent “even a drop of oil” from being exported from the Gulf if the economic confrontation continues.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States could launch one of the largest economic campaigns in its history against Iran from Monday. He also indicated that countries maintaining commercial and economic ties with Tehran could face new sanctions.

In an article published in the Financial Times on Sunday, Bessent described the planned measures as an “economic D-Day” and urged countries doing business with Iran to consider the potential consequences of Washington’s actions.

In response, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, issued a stern warning. In a social media post, he said Iran would not allow “a single drop of oil” to be exported from the Gulf if the economic war continued.

According to Rezaei, Iran would block oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz as well as other routes in the Persian Gulf. He warned that Tehran would consider any country participating in or assisting the US economic campaign against Iran to be engaging in an act of war.

The warning has once again put the Strait of Hormuz in the spotlight. The strategically important waterway carries a significant share of global energy supplies. Shipping through the strait has already been severely disrupted amid the ongoing conflict, raising fresh concerns over global energy prices.

Iran is already facing significant economic pressure ahead of the potential sanctions. High inflation, a weakened currency, energy shortages and years of international sanctions have been compounded by damage to infrastructure during the ongoing war, disrupting trade and production.

Meanwhile, direct talks between the United States and Iran have remained suspended. The two countries last held face-to-face talks in Switzerland in June. Qatar, Pakistan and Türkiye, among others, have since been trying to reduce tensions and facilitate a diplomatic solution.

As part of those efforts, Iranian officials said Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, is scheduled to visit Tehran on Monday. Regional security and the potential impact of new US sanctions are expected to be among the issues discussed during the visit.