Iran warns nearby nations against joining US ‘economic war’ efforts

Key Points:

• Iran has warned neighboring countries that they will be considered enemies and targeted if they join a U.S. campaign to damage Iran's economy, according to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
• The warning follows U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of a "most crushing economic operation" against Iran, with threats of severe consequences for any country providing Iran with economic support.
• Rezaei outlined a three-stage Iranian strategy involving initial negotiation, attempts to separate neighbors from the U.S., and eventual action against those siding with the U.S. if they do not reconsider.
• Iran accuses the U.S. of trying to fracture Iranian society through economic pressure to end the conflict and has threatened to target alternative oil shipping routes if regional states participate in U.S. economic warfare.
• The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. sanctions as violations of sovereignty over United Nations member states amid ongoing tensions over control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.