Iran's most senior security official declared on August 22 that any country joining American-led economic restrictions against the Islamic Republic would be considered an enemy of Tehran, escalating a confrontation that has already effectively halted oil traffic through one of the world's most critical maritime passages.
Mohsen Rezai, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, made the warning on state television. The statement was sweeping in its scope: neighbouring governments that cooperate with Washington, he said, would face direct consequences.
"Not a single drop of oil will leave the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz," Rezai warned, adding that Iran would also target other oil export routes in the region. He said the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and would reopen only when Washington "corrects its behavior" — a direct contradiction of US claims that the waterway is open.
The threats go further than military targets. Rezai stated that Iran has so far confined its strikes to US military bases, but warned it would begin targeting American oil and economic companies around Iran and elsewhere if the new sanctions are imposed.
The warnings come two days before US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is due to announce the full details of a sanctions package that the Trump administration has described as the toughest in American history. President Trump has separately warned that any country allowing its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide what he called a lifeline to Iran would face "TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences."
Iran's military has matched the rhetoric of its political leadership. Major General Ali Abdollahi, chief of staff of the armed forces, said Iran would respond to US threats with "crushing, punishing and devastating responses" across land, sea, air, air defence, and cyberspace.
Iran's foreign ministry added its voice, condemning the planned measures as "economic terrorism" targeting ordinary Iranians and amounting to crimes against humanity.
In a separate and striking development, Iran's military announced financial rewards for killing or capturing US soldiers: 5 billion tomans, roughly $30,000, for men, and double that, roughly $60,000, for women, with the reward tied to the use of legally owned hunting firearms.
The picture on the Strait of Hormuz is mixed. Iran granted Iraqi oil tankers permission to transit the waterway on August 22, according to Iran's official news agency IRNA. Tehran and Muscat, the capital of Oman, also held discussions on maritime navigation in the strait and the possible revival of broader talks. Whether those limited openings signal any willingness to negotiate, or are tactical carve-outs, remains unclear.
The planned US sanctions are expected to bear heavily on Iran's most significant trading partners. China, among them, has said that sanctions do not help resolve the situation. The full scope of pressure Washington intends to place on Beijing and others will become clearer when Bessent publishes the details, scheduled for August 24.
NATO has convened a meeting to discuss the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, reflecting the degree to which the standoff has drawn in powers beyond the immediate region. The alliance's deliberations are ongoing, and no decisions have been announced.
The confrontation has its immediate origins in a post by President Trump on August 19 declaring what he called an unprecedented-scale economic war against Iran. Tehran's response has been to extend its threats progressively outward, from military installations to energy infrastructure, and now to the trading relationships of third-party governments. What any of that means in practice will depend in part on what Bessent announces, and on how Iran's neighbours choose to respond to pressure from both sides.
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