Washington prepares 'toughest sanctions in history': Iran retaliates with harsh message, China in focus

Washington is preparing the harshest sanctions in its history against Iran, according to reports, while Tehran has responded with a sharp message, focusing on China. As the conflict nears its sixth month, neither side has engaged in direct military confrontation, yet peace talks have stalled. Meanwhile, oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have effectively come to a halt, with Tehran threatening to attack all unlicensed oil tankers attempting to pass through the narrow waterway. The U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, is set to hold a press conference on Monday afternoon, promising to unveil “the toughest sanctions in history” against Iran. At the same time, he will call upon China to collaborate with Washington. China continues to purchase over 80 percent of Iran’s crude oil, according to data from analytics firm Kpler as of 2025. Beijing has called for diplomatic engagement. An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, stated on Saturday that the U.S. announcement of new economic sanctions against Iran constitutes “imposing extraterritorial sovereignty on any independent United Nations member state.” He added that such secondary sanctions lack legal basis under international law, as noted in a statement posted on X. President Donald Trump, who had threatened economic sanctions against any country providing “any form of assistance” to Iran, remarked on Friday that Washington was observing “what is happening” in the conflict. He expressed his belief that while the U.S. would prefer to reach an agreement, Iran is not ready to make a genuine deal. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been halted. Although the U.S. has practically blocked Iranian vessels from leaving their ports, the passage through the strait remains closed, with thousands of mariners stuck aboard hundreds of ships. Data tracking vessels showed that only four cargo ships passed through the strait on Thursday, none of which were large oil tankers or liquefied natural gas carriers. However, Iran has approved the passage of a limited number of Iraqi oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz following repeated requests from Baghdad, according to the Iranian state news agency IRNA. IRNA reported that obtaining special permits for Iraqi tankers was one of Baghdad’s main demands during the visit of the head of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, to Iraq. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that American forces helped ensure the passage of approximately eight million barrels of oil per day through the strait over seven days. This represents a decline from more than 20 million barrels per day before the war, equivalent to roughly one-fifth of global consumption. American attacks have severely impacted Iran's economy and destroyed much of its navy and air force. However, Tehran still possesses sufficient capabilities in missiles and drones to disrupt oil tanker traffic and launch attacks on regional adversaries. Despite these losses, President Donald Trump has yet to achieve the objectives he set at the beginning of the war, including the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program, whose current status remains unclear due to the inability of UN inspectors to conduct inspections since 2025, as well as creating conditions for the collapse of Iran’s clerical regime. Thousands have died in the conflict, including 168 Iranian students on the first day of the war. The United States has reported over 750 injured and 18 killed among its armed forces personnel. Iran’s Supreme Leader, General Ali Abdullahi, promised on Thursday that Iran would respond to enemy threats “strongly and destructively.” Nevertheless, President Masud Pezeškian called for a diplomatic resolution. “Ending this war today would be better, while we remain strong and dignified, and the entire world recognizes our victory,” Pezeškian said, according to the news agency ISNA. He emphasized that the world acknowledges the U.S.’s violation of all rules by attacking schools, hospitals, and infrastructure, and that America is hated globally. The head of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, the main Iranian negotiator in ongoing talks with the U.S., acknowledged pressure on Iran’s economy in comments made to Iranian and Iraqi business leaders late on Thursday. “Regardless of how much military power we have,” he said, “the economic pressure is undeniable.”