Iran says it’s prepared for new US sanctions, predicting them to be ‘another defeat’
Iran says it’s ready to weather the new wave of U.S. sanctions as the Trump administration threatens to squeeze not just Tehran, but countries and companies that keep doing business with it.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday unveiled new sanctions targeting digital assets, gold, aviation, technology and shipping. It’s part of what the administration is calling “Operation Economic Outcast.”
“Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone,” Bessent said Monday in a post on X.
Iran responds to new sanctions
Meanwhile, Iran says it has been preparing for the new sanctions “for a long time,” and is ready to face them.
In a statement on Monday, Iranian Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh predicted the new sanctions would be “another defeat” for the U.S., saying the Islamic Republic had a “two-year plan” to counter new D.C. sanctions.
“They have done everything they could to test the determination of the Iranian people and the country’s officials, but they have failed every time. It seems they wished to suffer yet another defeat,” Madanizadeh said.
He added that the republic has been “waiting for these plans for a long time” and the government is ready to manage “these events.”
Other US threats
In his announcement on Monday, Bessent also warned countries and companies that continue to do business with Iran that they could face penalties, including being cut off from the U.S. dollar system.
China responded to that threat Tuesday, saying it will “firmly safeguard its own rights and interests.”
“China has already stated many times that it firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions … China will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its own rights and interests,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.
The new restrictions also reach into daily life, affecting some money sent from the U.S. to family members in Iran, while sports and academic exchanges have been suspended.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is tightening the screws in the Strait of Hormuz.
Vessels and companies that comply with Iranian demands for information while traveling through the strait could now face U.S. penalties on top of existing penalties for paying Iranian tolls.