Iran Hits Back at US Sanctions, Says Washington Can't Dictate Its Trade Ties

Iran threatened retaliation Tuesday after the US expanded sanctions, with Tehran's top negotiator asserting Washington lacks the economic power to restrict other nations' relations with Iran. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X that Iran's trading partners have dismissed US threats, responding to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's "Operation Economic Outcast" campaign targeting Tehran's financial networks and oil revenue. Bessent urged Iranian soldiers to question their leaders, comparing the situation to the Berlin Wall's fall, as Washington pressures Iran toward negotiations or faces "complete global isolation."