Iran has issued a stark warning to the international community, declaring that any country participating in United States-led economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic will be considered an enemy.
The warning comes in direct response to President Donald Trump's announcement of what he called “the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country”.
The warning was delivered on Saturday, 22 August 2026, by Mohsen Rezaei (also transliterated as Mohsen Rezai), the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, during a televised address on state television.
“We declare to all countries… do not join the economic war waged by the United States,” Rezaei said.
“Any country participating in the imposition of economic restrictions against us is considered an enemy“.
Iranian officials have further warned of “earthquake-like” retaliation against any nation that aligns with Washington’s campaign, vowing to take decisive measures to protect the country’s national interests.
Tehran has reportedly outlined a three-stage strategy in response to the escalating pressure.
Trump’s “Economic D-Day”
The Iranian warning came after President Trump announced on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, that the United States would impose “unprecedented” economic warfare and isolation on Iran.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump described the move as “an Economic D-Day” and declared it would be “the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country“.
Trump specifically cited oil smuggling, financial swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries and front companies as activities that must end.
He accused Iran of failing to seize the opportunity to make a deal and declared: “It is going to work in Iran, and we are going to collapse this regime“.
The announcement came amid ongoing negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil trading waterway that has been effectively closed since early March.
The Trump administration is now reportedly pushing allies and China to back its new campaign to isolate the Iranian economy.
Tehran Dismisses Threats
Iranian officials have dismissed the latest US threats as ineffective. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Trump’s newly announced “most crushing economic operation” is “bound to fail“, noting that Iran has withstood around half a century of US sanctions and does almost no trade with the United States.
The escalating rhetoric between Washington and Tehran signals a significant deterioration in relations, with the United States vowing to prevent Iran’s trading partners from providing “any type of lifeline to Iran“, while Iran threatens to treat any nation that complies as a hostile adversary.
With both sides hardening their positions, the international community now faces mounting pressure to choose between aligning with Washington’s maximum-pressure campaign or risking Tehran’s wrath.
