diplomacySunday, August 23, 20262 sources

Iran's Security Chief Warns Neighbors Who Join US Economic Measures Will Be Targeted

Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's new supreme national security council leader, warned neighbors against joining US economic sanctions against Tehran. He threatened to target oil-shipping routes in the Persian Gulf if those neighbors participated. Neighbors joining the US measures would be labeled 'enemies' and their interests would be attacked.

Mohsen Rezaei, the hardline leader of Iran’s supreme national security council, issued a stark warning in his first interview since taking office. He stated that if neighboring countries joined the US in economic measures against Iran, they would be considered 'enemies' and their interests would be targeted. Rezaei specifically mentioned oil-shipping routes out of the Persian Gulf, alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz, as potential targets if neighbors aligned with the US. The Guardian and The Hindu both reported Rezaei’s statements, though the Guardian noted that Rezaei’s remarks came in the context of Donald Trump’s controversial claim that the Strait of Hormuz was a US territory. The Hindu’s report focused on the direct threat to neighbors who joined the economic war. Both sources confirmed Rezaei’s warning about targeting oil routes and labeling allies of the US as enemies.

Timelines

US-Iran Confrontation and Geopolitical TensionsUS-Iran Confrontation and Geopolitical Tensions: Economic and Maritime Disputes

Sources

IndependentThe GuardianAug 23, 07:34 AM
Iran’s new security chief says neighbours who join US economic war will be considered ‘enemies’

Hardliner Mohsen Rezaei also threatens American economic interests in first interview since appointment to supreme national security council The new leader of Iran’s top security body has warned its neighbours against joining new US efforts to squeeze Tehran’s economy, and threatened US commercial interests in the region, as Donald Trump doubled down on his fanciful view that the strait of Hormuz was a new US territory. Mohsen Rezaei, the hardline new leader of Iran’s supreme national security council, told state television that Iran would target oil-shipping routes out the Gulf – alternatives to the strait of Hormuz – if its neighbours joined what he called the “economic war” waged by the US. Those neighbours would be “considered an enemy” and “we will target their interests”, he said. Continue reading...

IndependentThe HinduAug 23, 05:52 AM
Iran security chief threatens neighbors against new U.S. economic measures

Mohsen Rezaei said Iran would target oil-shipping routes out of the Persian Gulf - alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz - if neighbours join what he described as the economic war against Iran; those neighbours would be considered enemies and “we will target their interests,” he said.