Iran to consider any participation in US economic operation 'act of war,' says security official

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A senior Iranian security official warned that the country will consider any state's participation in or support for the US anti-Iran economic operation as an "act of war."

In a social media post, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said, "If the economic war continues, not a single drop of oil will be exported, neither through the Strait of Hormuz nor from anywhere in the Persian Gulf. Iran will regard any country's participation in or support for America's economic war against the Iranian people as an act of war."

His remarks came in response to recent comments made by US President Donald Trump, reports Xinhua news agency. In a Wednesday post on Truth Social, Trump announced "the most crushing economic operation ever taken" against any country providing a lifeline to Iran.

"This will be Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale," he said, calling the move "an ECONOMIC D-DAY." Earlier, Rezaei warned that any country participating in the US economic war against Iran will be considered an "enemy" by Tehran.

Rezaei, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, made the remarks on Saturday in an interview with state-run IRIB TV. He said Iran would first negotiate with such countries and ask them to stay out of the conflict, but warned that if they refuse, Tehran will strike their interests, and that if surrounding countries choose to join the US siege, Iran "will not let even a single drop of oil be exported from the Strait of Hormuz."

He noted that Iran has learned how to bypass US sanctions and continue oil sales over the years, Xinhua news agency reported. Rezaei also repeated that the Hormuz Strait will remain closed unless the United States fulfills its commitments under the Iran-US peace memorandum of understanding signed in June, adding that Washington must act first this time.

On June 18, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the war in the region on all fronts, including Lebanon. Under the MoU, they were scheduled to hold negotiations within 60 days, which ended on Monday, to reach a final agreement, but the fate of the talks remains unclear following the escalation between the two countries last month.

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