Iran threatens to shut all Persian Gulf oil exports if neighbors cooperate with US sanctions

Published Aug 24, 10:29 PM UTC

Iran escalated rhetoric against the United States on August 24, 2026, warning that any escalation will bring consequences and that its hands are not tied. The threats came as the Trump administration announced 'Operation Economic Outcast,' a new sanctions campaign to isolate Iran economically. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei condemned the measures as illegal and harmful to ordinary citizens. More explicitly, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, threatened to shut down all oil exports from the Persian Gulf, including via alternative routes bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, if neighboring countries cooperate with US sanctions. This marks a significant escalation beyond previous threats focused solely on the Strait of Hormuz.