Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei stated on Sunday that Iran would launch "earthquake-like" retaliation if U.S. President Donald Trump takes further action against the country. The warning follows recent U.S. threats to impose what the administration describes as the "toughest sanctions in history" to isolate Tehran economically.
The escalating rhetoric occurs as the conflict between the two nations approaches its six-month anniversary, following the start of the war on February 28. President Trump recently referred to his proposed sanctions as an "economic D-Day" and threatened "tremendous economic consequences" for any nation that continues to trade with Iran.
Rezaei specifically warned neighboring Gulf countries that joining the U.S. economic campaign would lead Iran to treat them as enemies. He stated that if these nations assist the U.S., Iran will block all oil shipments from leaving the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, while also targeting alternative oil export routes in the region.
For the neighboring countries, the shift from regional partners to being labeled "enemies" creates a direct risk to their infrastructure and export economies. The Iranian foreign ministry characterized the U.S. sanctions as an attempt to assert sovereignty over independent United Nations member states, signaling that future policy may involve increased defiance of international trade restrictions. The U.S. has already implemented a blockade, with President Trump claiming that no ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz without U.S. permission.
What happens next depends on the formal rollout of the "economic D-Day" sanctions. While Chile has already announced it will close its embassy in Iran by the end of August to protect diplomats amid the instability, other nations face U.S. pressure to cease trade. A specific date for the implementation of the new U.S. sanctions was not reported, but the war reaches its six-month mark at the end of August. Additionally, a trial is scheduled for February 1, 2027, for a suspect involved in an arson attack on a Persian media office in London related to regional tensions.