Ahead of tough new U.S. sanctions, Iran criticizes ‘extraterritorial sovereignty’

Iran maintained its harsh rhetoric Saturday against the U.S.′ plans to impose tough new sanctions.

“The United States’ declaration of new economic sanctions on Iran is far more than continued unlawful ‘economic warfare’ against a single country,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a post on X. “It is an assertion of extraterritorial sovereignty over every independent Member State of the United Nations.”

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Thursday that the Trump administration’s plan to crush Iran’s economy will likely negate the need for major U.S. military operations against the Islamic Republic.

Bessent vowed that the U.S. will create “the greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world” against Iran.

He said he will hold a news conference on Monday to “talk about exactly what we’re going to do.”

In a preview of the plan, he said that the U.S. will be telling all of its allies, “You are either with us or against us.”

Vice President JD Vance said economic pressure is the United States’ “most effective tool” against Iran.

Speaking on a podcast, Vance said that the move was “a delicate dance” as both sides apply pressure to each other, but added that “what has been true over the last couple of weeks is they felt a lot more pressure than we have.”

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told an event in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Friday that Muslim countries must make a plan to overcome “cruel” sanctions, according to a government summary of his comments.