Iran dismisses U.S. 'economic isolation' plan, prepares countermeasures

Iran's economy minister, Seyed Ali Madani-zadeh, asserted on state television that the government has already prepared a two-year economic plan and is fully equipped to counter new sanctions. He claimed that efforts to normalize the steel and petrochemical industries, despite wartime damage, are underway and that global financial flows are insufficient to cripple Iran's economy.

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The government has already prepared an economic plan covering the next two years. The plan to respond to sanctions was established a long time ago, and we are sufficiently prepared for new sanctions.

Iranian officials broadly rejected the efficacy of U.S. sanctions. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf tweeted that the U.S. lacks the capacity to further restrict Iran's international relations, suggesting Iran's trading partners disregard sanction threats. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi mocked the U.S. for launching what he called the "largest financial attack in history" while simultaneously claiming to have dismantled Iran's military.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani warned that Iran's "hands are not tied" and that any further escalation would carry consequences. The new head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, previously stated that countries supporting sanctions would be considered engaged in an act of war.

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The U.S. does not have the economic capacity to further restrict relations with other countries.

Amidst the U.S. announcement of stringent sanctions, Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization blacklisted 45 oil tankers, including a South Korean vessel from Sinokor, for alleged navigation violations in the Strait of Hormuz. These vessels face potential fines, impoundment, and cargo seizure.

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Our hands are not tied, and if the situation worsens, there will definitely be consequences.