Amid military threats, US and Iran continue “escalatory rhetoric” ahead of “sanctions day” - Sarmad
The United States and Iran continued to escalate their rhetoric ahead of the anticipated announcement of new US economic sanctions on Tehran, which Washington describes as “the harshest in history,” while military threats remained prominent in statements from both sides.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that Iran wants to reach an agreement but is “not ready to make the right deal,” emphasizing that his administration’s reliance on economic pressure “does not mean that US military options have become limited.” Responding to a question on the matter, he added, “No, absolutely not. It just means we are watching what happens,” according to Al-Sharq.
Trump claimed that the United States exercises “complete control” over the area surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. He added, “If you look at the blockade, we have complete control over that entire area related to the Strait of Hormuz, and this control extends to land areas inland.”
The US military continues to impose a blockade on Iranian ports. US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that its forces had rerouted 68 commercial vessels, disrupted three, and boarded three others to verify compliance with the naval blockade on Iran, as of Friday.
Trump’s image of “complete control” contrasts with the ongoing disruption of navigation. Data from ship-tracking company Kpler showed that only seven commercial vessels transited the strait on Thursday, compared to 14 the previous day, with no supertankers or liquefied natural gas carriers passing through, according to Reuters.
Before the outbreak of the war, the strait handled about one-fifth of global shipments of crude oil and liquefied natural gas.
In contrast, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that the US military helped facilitate the passage of more than 15 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz last Tuesday. Wright clarified in a post on the platform X that the total oil leaving the region on Tuesday, including quantities exported via pipelines, amounted to approximately 20 million barrels.
Iranian Threats
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is holding a press conference on Monday afternoon in Washington (18:00 GMT), where he is expected to announce new sanctions on Iran. This follows Trump’s warning of economic consequences for any country providing “any kind of vital support to Tehran.”
Speaking to CNBC on Thursday, Bessent said the US administration would reveal exactly what it would do regarding Iran, adding, “We will bring down this regime.”
In response to US threats, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X on Friday a timeline of US sanctions on Tehran, stating, “We have seen this movie before.”
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei described the anticipated US announcement of new economic sanctions as “a claim of sovereignty beyond the territorial borders of every independent member state of the United Nations.” He added that “such secondary sanctions have no basis in international law.”
Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief Tehran negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf stated on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the United States implements the conditions of the “memorandum of understanding” signed between the two countries last June.
According to Qalibaf, the conditions include lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports, canceling sanctions on Iranian oil exports, releasing Tehran’s frozen funds, and ending threats and military operations on all fronts.
The memorandum stipulated that the two sides would negotiate a final agreement within a maximum period of 60 days, extendable by mutual consent, before the process stalled due to disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump announced on July 7 the “termination of the agreement,” while the Iranian Foreign Ministry later declared the “suspension of the memorandum.”
Trump’s statements coincided with Iran’s threat on Friday of a “devastating response” to any new American threats, following Washington’s announcement of its intention to impose what it described as the harshest financial sanctions in history on Tehran, with the aim of “toppling the Iranian regime.”
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Ali Abdollahi, stated that Iran’s response “would be wide-ranging and decisive,” adding that his country’s forces were ready to act across land, sea, and air domains, as well as in air defense and cyberspace. However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for a diplomatic solution in return.
According to the Iranian news agency ISNA, Pezeshkian said: “It is better for us to end the war today, while we are in a position of strength and dignity, and the entire world acknowledges our victory and confirms that America, contrary to all laws, attacked our schools, hospitals, and infrastructure.”
NATO Moves to Support Freedom of Navigation
A spokesperson for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) said that General Alexis Grenell, the Alliance’s Supreme Allied Commander, held a video conference earlier in the week to facilitate potential contributions to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, but he maintained that this was “not within the Alliance’s mandate.”
In a statement reported by Reuters, the spokesperson noted: “The Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe hosted a meeting of relevant Allies at the level of defense chiefs last Wednesday, with the aim of facilitating potential contributions to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”
He added: “To clarify, this is not within the Alliance’s mandate, but given the unique strengths the Alliance possesses in its ability to bring Allies together and understand their capabilities, it is logical for it to facilitate matters in this manner.” NATO members are seeking to avoid direct involvement in a war with Iran, instead focusing on plans to reopen the strategic strait.
