Iran has announced that it will prepare measures to counter the economic sanctions that the United States continues to intensify, which Washington says are intended to isolate Iran economically. Iranian officials have warned that any further U.S. measures will face a “devastating” response.
The Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said Iran must develop ways to counter the sanctions, stressing that the economy and national security are closely connected.
Qalibaf said the United States and Israel have turned to economic warfare after failing to defeat Iran and Iraq militarily. He made the remarks during a meeting with Iranian and Iraqi business representatives in Baghdad.
“When you look at the resources and raw materials of Muslim countries, you can see that our enemies are seeking to plunder them. That is why we must prepare plans to counter these unjust sanctions so that we can overcome them.”
His remarks came after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that Washington had taken major steps to impose sanctions on Iran. Bessent said further details of the measures would be announced later.
Qalibaf also called for stronger economic ties between Baghdad and Tehran. He said the two countries could use their own currencies in bilateral trade to reduce their dependence on the U.S. dollar.
The United States, meanwhile, has said it is prepared to economically isolate Iran from countries that continue to trade with it, including China, India, Iraq and others.
