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Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Tuesday hit back at US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's threat of new sanctions against countries maintaining economic ties with Iran, saying the United States is not in an economic position to further restrict its "relations with other countries".
In a post on X, Ghalibaf said, "Americans know that no one buys their bombast; the United States is not in an economic position to further restrict its relations with other countries." https://x.com/mb_ghalibaf/status/2091930354064003343 "Iran's trading partners, both in the media and through messages sent to us, have made it clear that they don't take these statements into account anywhere," he added. Ghalibaf's remarks come as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the launch of "Operation Economic Outcast", saying the campaign aims to sever Iran's financial connections around the world and cut off revenue sources supporting the Iranian regime. Meanwhile, Bessent addressed Iranian "ordinary soldiers" during his press conference, urging them to question their military leadership as the US intensifies economic pressure on Tehran. "To the ordinary soldiers supporting this regime, as more and more of your paychecks stop or are supposedly just delayed, ask whether your commanders are leading your country to triumph or to ruin," Bessent said. "And recall that the Berlin Wall fell when ordinary soldiers decided not to shoot at their own people," he added. The latest exchange comes amid heightened US-Iran tensions, with Washington seeking to restrict Tehran's access to international financial networks and economic lifelines. While addressing the press conference, Bessent also said that Iran now faces a choice between global isolation and a return to the international economy. "Iran now faces a clear choice, with only two paths before them: complete global isolation and a subsistence economy, or a path to normalcy with the opportunity to rejoin the global economy. Today we are launching Operation Economic Outcast to foreclose all other options available to the Iranian regime," Bessent added. The Treasury Secretary said Washington had identified the networks Iran uses to move oil and circumvent sanctions. "Treasury has mapped every node, facilitator, and network that Iran has used to smuggle oil and evade sanctions. Beginning today, the actions of Treasury and other agencies will block every potential source of revenue that funds the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the evil Iranian regime," he added. Bessent's remarks came a day after he warned in an op-ed that an "economic D-Day is coming for Iran". His comments followed similar warnings from US President Donald Trump, who has sought to increase economic pressure on Tehran and push it back towards negotiations. (ANI)
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