The newly appointed head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has issued a stern warning to neighboring nations, cautioning them against aiding a renewed U.S. strategy aimed at crippling Tehran’s economy.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts persist across the region: Egypt is attempting to broker a return to dialogue between Iran and the United States, while both Tehran and Baghdad reported assisting ships transporting Iraqi crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
Concurrently, France and Saudi Arabia are slated to convene talks to explore alternative shipping routes that bypass the strategic maritime corridor.
Elsewhere in the region, Israeli forces launched fresh military strikes in both Syria and Gaza.
Mohsen Rezaei, a hardline figure who recently assumed leadership of the Supreme National Security Council amid high-level appointments that signal a tougher political and military stance in Tehran, accused Washington of deepening global nuclear instability following months of conflict.
In his most detailed public remarks since taking office, delivered during an interview broadcast Saturday on state television (IRIB), Rezaei warned of severe pushback against American actions.
“If (Trump) wants to do something, we will retaliate in a seismic manner,” he said.
Rezaei asserted that if neighboring states choose to participate in what he characterized as Washington’s economic warfare, Tehran will target alternative oil transit routes outside the Persian Gulf that bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
He warned that those countries would be treated as adversaries and noted, “we will target their interests.”
The warning comes on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump’s promise to step up economic pressure on Iran through an “unprecedented” campaign of economic isolation. Iran has already been under heavy international sanctions for years.
Addressing maritime security, Rezaei confirmed that discussions remain ongoing with Oman—which sits opposite Iran along the Strait of Hormuz—regarding transit oversight, noting that user fees would be imposed. Tehran asserted full control over the strategic passage shortly after joint U.S. and Israeli military strikes began on February 28.
Rezaei further pledged to overhaul Iran’s diplomatic strategy and unveil new capabilities designed for future military engagements.
Warning Washington against sending additional troops to the region, he argued that U.S. actions have severely undermined nuclear non-proliferation efforts, demonstrating to other nations that compliance with international inspection frameworks—like Iran’s—fails to guarantee protection from military aggression.