President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran was "not ready to make the right deal" following his administration's announcement of upcoming economic sanctions. Speaking to reporters, the president characterized the Strait of Hormuz as "American territory" and stated that Tehran must be prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The U.S. Treasury has described the impending measures as the "toughest sanctions in history," part of a strategy the president described as "Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale."
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for an end to the conflict on Friday, stating that Tehran was in a "position of power and dignity." During a meeting with medical professionals, Pezeshkian said the "whole world acknowledges our victory" and accused the United States of attacking civilian infrastructure. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described the U.S. sanctions as "economic terrorism" and argued that secondary sanctions—penalties applied to third parties doing business with Iran—lack a foundation in international law.
Shipping data from Kpler indicates a significant decrease in maritime activity through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that handles approximately 20% of global energy supplies. On Thursday, only seven commodity vessels were recorded passing through the strait, a decrease from 14 on Wednesday. No supertankers or liquefied natural gas carriers were recorded during that period. Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported that Iran is considering strikes on U.S. military targets in Europe, including a British air base in Cyprus, if the conflict continues to escalate.
The scale of the economic measures involves the U.S. Treasury threatening "secondary sanctions," which would penalize any country or business providing a "lifeline" to Iran. This potentially impacts international banks and energy firms in countries that have previously served as mediators. Domestically, the U.S. national debt has reached $40 trillion, a milestone that analysts suggest complicates the long-term financing of extended military engagements.
The immediate day-to-day impact for civilians in the region includes the reported targeting of schools, hospitals, and infrastructure, according to President Pezeshkian. In the U.S., the conflict has also influenced immigration policy; records from the National Iranian American Council revealed that U.S. officials cooperated with Iranian representatives on three removal flights between September 2025 and January 2026, returning more than 100 Iranian nationals. The next steps depend on the formal announcement of the new U.S. sanctions and Iran's potential shift to what its officials describe as a "fully offensive" military strategy.