Iran warns any country joining US sanctions considered 'enemy'

TEHRAN, Aug 23: Iran on Saturday warned countries against participating in the United States' "economic war" against the Islamic republic, saying they would be considered enemies.

Washington has pushed its allies to jump aboard Donald Trump's new campaign to isolate the Iranian economy, as the US President's unpopular war drags toward the six-month mark.

"We declare to all countries... do not join the economic war waged by the United States," said Mohsen Rezai, the head of Iran's supreme national security council, on state television.

"Any country participating in the imposition of economic restrictions against us is considered an enemy," he added.

If the countries concerned refused to "distance themselves" from the United States, Iran would "harm" their interests, he added.

Rezai also insisted that the Islamic republic had more cards to play in the war, claiming that "we have not yet attacked any American economic interests".

"So far, we have only targeted military bases, but if they want to impose economic sanctions on us, the United States has oil and economic companies around Iran and elsewhere, and we will strike them," Rezai threatened.

Should Trump "take action, our confrontation will be like an earthquake", he added.

Washington has also called on other governments to join its efforts to isolate the Iranian economy, notably Beijing, among Iran's top strategic partners.

But China has criticised the initiative, arguing that American sanctions would not resolve the conflict in the Middle East.

One of Iran's major trading partners, the United Arab Emirates, announced on Tuesday that it was suspending all trade and financial transactions with Tehran until further notice.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged on Sunday that his country's citizens face "many problems", after the United States launched a new wave of sanctions seeking to further isolate its economy.

"I understand we have many problems in society right now. We are trying to prevent these as much as we can," Pezeshkian said in a speech broadcast on state television.

His comments came after the United States vowed last week to bring about the "collapse" of the Iranian regime through a newly announced sanctions campaign, nearly six months after the start of their war.
In his response, Pezeshkian said that, thanks to US President Donald Trump, Iran was "in a full-scale economic, military and security war".
"He says he is imposing the most crushing and terrifying sanctions on Iran," Pezeshkian said.

The Iranian government has faced several waves of mass protest in recent years, often triggered by economic hardships, including inflation and exchange rate swings leading to declining purchasing power.�"AFP