Iran has condemned the impending US sanctions as a "complete erosion of sovereignty" following President Donald Trump's threat to penalize any nation trading with Tehran.
In a post on social media platform X on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the US statement was an "assertion of extraterritorial sovereignty" against UN member states. He stressed that no country can force foreign banks, businesses, or airports to abandon trade with Iran.
"The end result will be a complete erosion of sovereignty – the fundamental foundation of the UN-based interstate system – and a recipe for the lamentable return of comprehensive classical colonialism," Baghaei said.
Earlier, on Wednesday, Trump announced a "maximum pressure campaign" against Iran and warned that any country engaging in transactions with Tehran would face "enormous economic consequences." The following day, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent went further, saying the new sanctions would bring Iran to "collapse" and force other nations to choose sides: "either with us or against us."
Iranian state media quickly pointed out that Tehran has endured US sanctions for decades. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that the new measures would "definitely fail."
"We've seen this movie before," Araghchi wrote on X, alongside a screenshot of a 2012 post by former US President Barack Obama about sanctions. "Same old trick. Different bully."
The latest war of words comes amid stalled peace talks with Tehran. The US Navy has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports, while oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has ground to a near halt.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said his administration was "waiting to see what happens" in the conflict. "They very much want to reach a deal, but in my view they are not ready for a proper one," the US President said.
While the US blocks Iranian ships at ports, the Strait of Hormuz remains congested with thousands of sailors stuck on hundreds of vessels. Ship-tracking data shows only four cargo ships passed through the strait on Thursday, with no large crude oil tankers or liquefied natural gas carriers.
However, Iran has allowed some Iraqi oil tankers to transit the strait after repeated requests from Baghdad, according to state news agency IRNA on Saturday. IRNA said granting special permission for Iraqi oil tankers was one of Baghdad's main requests during Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf's visit to Iraq.
