Iran vows a “painful response” as US sanctions squeeze its economy

Iran is promising both retaliation abroad and economic action at home as US sanctions intensify pressure on the country.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Iran’s response to any new attack would be more severe than before. “From now on, any attack against Iran’s interests and security will receive a faster, heavier and more painful response,” he said in a speech published on his Telegram channel.

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The rules of the game in the war against Iran have changed.

Qalibaf said the United States needed to understand that “the rules of the game” had changed before it was too late. His warning followed renewed attacks after a pause in military action through much of July. US Central Command said on Saturday that it had struck three Iranian tankers after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships.

The conflict has appeared to reach a stalemate six months after US and Israeli strikes against Iran. A preliminary cease-fire agreement reached in June has unraveled, while efforts to revive negotiations and restore a path toward peace have made little progress.

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From now on, any attack against Iran’s interests and security will receive a faster, heavier and more painful response.

Tehran still says it can attack US interests in neighboring countries and disrupt oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Before the conflict, about one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies moved through the strait.

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They speak of economic pressure and isolation, of breaking off financial ties, and they think that by pressuring the economy of a country they can change the decisions of its people.

At home, Qalibaf described production and people’s livelihoods as Iran’s main battle alongside the military front. He cited sharp currency fluctuations, inflation, unemployment and market management as major challenges, saying Iranians could tolerate hardship but not mismanagement or inaction.

Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh said Iran planned to answer US economic pressure with reforms. “The responsibility for reforming Iran’s economy is with its government and people, not with the U.S. Treasury,” he said, according to state media. Deputy Economy Minister Morteza Zamanian separately said the ministry’s Economic War Headquarters was stepping up efforts to resolve problems caused by the war, Tasnim reported.

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The responsibility for reforming Iran’s economy is with its government and people, not with the U.S. Treasury.