US-Iran Tensions : Washington Tightens Pressure on Tehran as Iran Threatens Retaliation
Rudra News Express New Delhi.
Tensions between the United States and Iran are escalating ahead of Washington’s planned announcement of new economic sanctions against Tehran on Monday.
The new measures could target Iran as well as key trading partners, including China. Tehran has warned that any fresh US action will trigger a devastating response.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Saturday described the planned sanctions as an attempt by Washington to impose “extraterritorial sovereignty” over independent UN member states.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who is also Tehran’s main negotiator in mediated talks with the US, said Washington appeared to have concluded that it could not prevail in a direct military confrontation with Iran.
However, Qalibaf has also acknowledged the growing pressure on Iran’s economy, warning that military strength alone would not help if people were left hungry.
As the conflict approaches the six-month mark, direct fighting has stopped, but peace talks remain stalled. Meanwhile, oil shipments through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz have virtually halted amid Iranian threats to strike unauthorised tankers attempting to pass through the waterway.
The latest US sanctions announcement could further intensify tensions between Washington and Tehran and put additional pressure on Iran’s economy and its major trading partners.
