U.S. Treasury Secretary Besent is expected to announce a new round of economic measures against Iran on Monday. Before, the United States had indicated that it would apply “unprecedented” economic pressure and isolation policies to Iran. The Iranian side then issued a strong warning that any country that supported the new United States measures would be considered an act of war against Iran.
Iran's top officials have warned of retaliation.
Rezai, the new head of Iran's security apparatus, interviewed the State media over the weekend, said that Iran would respond in a “shocking manner” if the Trump Government took further action. He also claims that Iran may have extended the strike to other oil transport corridors in the Persian Gulf and not to the Strait of Hormuz.
Rezai took up his new duties this month as commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and military adviser to the Iranian Supreme Leader. His statement was seen by the outside world as a sign of further strengthening of security and military positions in Tehran in the near future.
The United States will announce a new round of economic measures.
Reports indicate that new measures by the United States Department of the Treasury will be announced on Monday at the earliest. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Army Chief of Staff, Munir, is expected to visit Tehran on the same day. The regional good offices are trying to facilitate the resumption of negotiations between the United States and Iran.
On Sunday, Iranian President Pezerhiziang defended a memorandum of understanding signed in mid-June this year, calling it the best way out of the “non-war and” situation. He stated that after almost six months of the war, it was still difficult for Iran to attract investment and that the situation needed to be cooled.
The interim arrangement, however, originally set a 60-day negotiating window with the objective of ending the conflict and facilitating agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue. The deadline ended last week and there are no signs of compromise or extension.
The risk of passage through the Strait of Hormuz remains.
Although no new attacks have recently been confirmed in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's newly established “Bassel Authority” has published a list of vessels that are said to be in violation of traffic arrangements and may face restrictions such as fines or arrest in the future.
Iran is also discussing co-management arrangements with Oman, on the other side of the Strait, which is expected to involve ship fees in the future. Any new restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy transport route, could exacerbate market concerns about the safety of crude oil supply and shipping.
The situation is still spilling over.
In addition to the US-Iraq standoff, reports mention continued tension between Israel and Palestine. The renewed air strikes, shootings and attacks on the weekends in Gaza and the West Bank indicate that the security situation in the Middle East remains unabated.
As the United States prepares to escalate its pressure on the Iranian economy, Tehran simultaneously releases a signal of military retaliation, exposing diplomatic negotiations, regional shipping and the energy market to new uncertainties.