Before the war broke out in the Middle East, China, India, Turkey, Germany, South Korea, and Japan were among Iran’s largest trading partners.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened “tremendous” punishment on any country that helps or does business with Iran, an economic pressure campaign that comes as the war in the Middle East nears its sixth month.
Calling it the “most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country”, he also listed several activities that he said need to stop immediately.
“No one has given the Islamic Republic of Iran a greater opportunity to make a Deal than me. TRAGICALLY, for them, they have failed to take it. Therefore, today, I am announcing the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY! This will be Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale,” he said in a Truth Social post.
“Today, I am also announcing that ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences. Oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies – It all needs to stop NOW,” Trump said without specifying what punishment countries would face.
He didn’t name any country but said “they know who they are”.
Before the war broke out in February, China, India, Turkey, Germany, South Korea, and Japan were among Iran’s largest trading partners.
“This will be an ECONOMIC D-DAY, and we need all of our Allies to stand with the United States of America to isolate, and defeat, the Iran threat. These maniacs are on the ropes, and these HISTORIC MEASURES will cripple them and their ability to project terror worldwide. IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” Trump said.
The US Treasury has for months been carrying out ‘Operation Economic Fury’, aiming to cut off Tehran’s funding with targeted sanctions.
The war in the Middle East broke out when the US and Israeli forces conducted joint strikes on Iran on February 28, killing a swath of the country’s leadership, including the then 86-year-old Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. In response, the Iranian forces attacked American and Israeli assets in the Middle East.
