Category: Iran

Iran’s Leadership ‘Panicking’ Under Trump Economic Offensive

President Trump: “There is a Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect”

Bessent: Iran’s Leadership ‘Panicking’ Under Trump Economic Offensive — Vows to Sever ‘Ev

Bessent: Iran’s Leadership ‘Panicking’ Under Trump Economic Offensive — Vows to Sever ‘Every Economic Lifeline’

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared Tuesday that Iran’s leadership is already “panicking” under President Donald Trump’s mounting economic offensive — pointing to stark warnings from Tehran’s own president and parliament speaker about the country’s deteriorating economy while vowing to continue severing the regime’s financial lifelines until it “stands alone.”

“Iran’s leadership is admitting what the world can now see: the pressure is working,” Bessent wrote on X, one day after the administration launched Operation Economic Outcast.

Bessent highlighted recent remarks made before Monday’s rollout from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who acknowledged the country’s mounting economic shortages while declaring that “the war must come to an end at some point.”

  • Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, says new “temporary” route through Strait of Hormuz agreed to with Oman, but US must “return to its commitments” under memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the waterway to be opened.
  • That won’t happen unless Iran surrenders…..

Iranian army top dog promises $30,000 to anyone who captures or kills an American

Double if it is a woman. But knowing Trump, he has it coming. T

  • US President Donald Trump has announced the launch of an unprecedented “crushing economic operation” against Iran after the two countries failed to reach a deal, warning that any country offering Tehran a lifeline will face severe financial retaliation.
  • Earlier, Trump said Washington may resume talks with Tehran at “some point”, stating that US demands remain focused strictly on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
  • Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says the US is seeking an “honourable exit” from the Middle East while promoting a “new regional order”.

Trump is sending 20 more warships to the Middle East.

Iran’s inflation is at record highs.

The regime is starving its own people for some “eternal reward.”

The IRGC doesn’t care. They just want to take down the Great Satan. Sanctions only go so far. The only way this ends is by destroying the regime.

UAE Suspends All Trade with Fellow BRICS Member Iran After Latest Missile Attack

‘Economic D-Day’ Awaits Iran: Trump Will ‘Sever Every Lifeline that Sustains the Tyrannical Regime’

Rial Hits Record Low As Bessent Readies “Economic D-Day” Assault To Isolate Iran

In the coming hours, the Trump administration is expected to unveil a sweeping campaign to economically isolate Iran and its trading partners, with China likely the primary target. The escalation is designed to force Tehran back to the negotiating table, as its only leverage – the Strait of Hormuz – appears to be quickly eroding. Commercial ships are now transiting the newly opened, US military-supervised shipping corridor off Oman, raising the possibility that Iran has partially lost control of the critical waterway.

“At dawn begins an economic D-Day, the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary.” 

Bessent Warns ‘Economic D-Day’ Awaits Iran

Trump Will ‘Sever Every Lifeline that Sustains the Tyrannical Regime’

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 30: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during a television inte

“The single greatest financial offensive ever” awaits Iran as the U.S.-Israel war with the totalitarian Islamic regime enters its “endgame,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Monday.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that he would hold a press conference on Monday to “talk about exactly what we’re going to do” regarding an economic war against Tehran.

“Economic pressure means that we are going to all of our allies, and this is going to be the greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world, and we are going to them and saying, ‘You are either with us or against us,'” Bessent said.

Late Sunday, Bessent wrote on X: “We are now entering the endgame. At dawn begins an economic D-Day, the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary.”

Iranian parliament advances plans for Hormuz service fees

  • The Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission has backed a draft law, according to which ships of countries permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz will pay for services provided by Iran.
  • Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, says any state joining United States sanctions against Iran will be considered an enemy, and Tehran will target its interests in retaliation.
  • US President Donald Trump has reposted a map marking the Strait of Hormuz as “NEW US Territory” on his Truth Social account, a day after he told a rally that he views the strait as “American territory”.

Iran’s security chief doubles down on threats against Trump’s ‘economic war’

Iran’s top security official has repeated threats to retaliate against Trump’s proposed sanctions on Tehran. Continue reading ‘Economic D-Day’ Awaits Iran: Trump Will ‘Sever Every Lifeline that Sustains the Tyrannical Regime’

Iran calls ‘toughest-ever’ US sanctions ‘economic terrorism’

Hijab is still compulsory in Iran.

A seven-year-old girl is still forced by law to cover her hair to enter school, or she can be denied education. Women can still lose their jobs. Businesses are still being shut down for refusing to enforce hijab.

Iran calls ‘toughest-ever’ US sanctions ‘economic terrorism’

  • US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that Washington will impose the “toughest sanctions in history” to “collapse” the Iranian government, calling on other nations, including China, to join the effort.
  • China has criticised the US president’s “economic D-Day” push against Iran, warning that additional sanctions will fail to resolve ongoing disputes.
  • Iran’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the US threat of new economic sanctions, describing the proposed measures as “illegal and inhumane”.
  • US Central Command says its forces have redirected 67 merchant ships, disabled three, and boarded two others travelling to or from Iranian ports while enforcing a revived naval blockade.

Bessent: Aim Is To ‘Collapse’ Iran Regime Through Economic Warfare, But US Unlikely To Restart Major Combat

“You are either with us or against us.”

  • US shifts toward economic warfare, away from military strikes: Bessent says maximum sanctions likely mean no major new military campaign for now.
  • Regime change rhetoric persists: Bessent says Washington intends to “collapse” Iran’s regime.
  • USS George Washington arrives: A new US carrier is now operating in the Middle East, relieving the over-extended USS Lincoln.
  • Iran rejects US threats as a Trump “diversion”: Tehran calls the campaign “economic terrorism” and says Washington is seeking an exit.
  • Axios claim of ‘stealth corridor’ where oil is moving steadily through Hormuz results in skepticism & some pushback.

Bessent: Going to ‘Collapse this Regime’

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a CNBC appearance seemed to give additional confirmation that further Pentagon operations targeting Iran are unlikely to happen down the line. He also furthered Trump’s ‘Economic D-Day’ plan and threat.

“If we are doing the maximum economic pressure, then that means that likely there will not be a large-scale kinetic restart,” Bessent said in a “Squawk on the Street” interview.

He previewed a press conference which the administration plans to give Monday to “talk about exactly what we’re going to do.” Apparently the White House is keen on resurrecting Bush-Cheney era talking points in the effort to push global countries to comply with a full economic siege and strangulation of the Islamic Republic. According to CNBC:

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.”

“If you insist on doing business with [Iran], either transferring money, buying their oil or doing seaborne ship transfers, then the U.S. Treasury and the U.S. government … will put its full might and force toward enforcing against you,” Bessent said.

“This is going to be the greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world,” he said.

He also said in the interview at one point that “we are going to collapse this regime.” Of course, none of this is necessarily new in terms of talking points’…

More…

Continue reading Iran calls ‘toughest-ever’ US sanctions ‘economic terrorism’

Trump sez Strait of Hormuz “New U.S. Territory; I like the idea of declaring it a territory”

Latest news:

  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spoken with UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss key regional security issues.
  • US President Donald Trump says that no conversations are taking place or scheduled with Iran, while maintaining that the US naval blockade remains in full force and mines in the Strait of Hormuz have been cleared.
  • Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami rejects war: “We must consider what serves the ultimate interests of the country, the system, and Islam.”

Iran Calls Trump ‘Delusional,’ Declares ‘Post-American Order’ — After He Claims Hormuz as ‘New U.S. Territory’

Iran’s military warns Gulf states against assisting US forces

Ali Abdollahi, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, has warned Gulf states against assisting the US military, saying nothing is “hidden from our eyes”.

Iranian officials fired back at President Donald Trump on Tuesday, calling him “delusional” and declaring a “post-American order” in the Persian Gulf after the president posted a map labeling the Strait of Hormuz “New U.S. Territory” and insisted the strategic waterway is “open and operating.”

Trump posted the map to Truth Social without comment Tuesday, following up on a claim he first floated last week and embraced again Monday when asked about the prospect of declaring the strait American territory.

“I mean we control it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “We control it with the blockade, and I like the idea of declaring it a territory.”

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded directly to Trump’s map, warning that Tehran would correct what he called the president’s “delusion.”

“Just as Trump correctly referred to the Persian Gulf by its proper name, his delusion about the Strait of Hormuz will soon either be dispelled, or we will set this deluded man straight,” Gharibabadi wrote on X.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States meets the commitments in the MoU, including lifting its naval blockade. “I want to state clearly that the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until the American commitments stipulated in the memorandum of understanding… are implemented,” Ghalibaf said. He listed the lifting of the blockade and oil sanctions, as well as the unfreezing of Iranian assets held abroad.

Those demands include lifting the U.S. naval blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets, removing sanctions on Iranian oil and ending U.S. military operations and threats.

Ghalibaf later turned his fire directly on the Trump administration’s efforts to force additional concessions from Tehran through mounting economic pressure, singling out Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and War Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“Americans think squeezing Iran harder will win concessions that were never part of the agreement,” Ghalibaf wrote on X. “Bessent and Hegseth are way out of their league.”

Continue reading Trump sez Strait of Hormuz “New U.S. Territory; I like the idea of declaring it a territory”

Trump v Iran: Tehran should “put up the white flag of surrender”

Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it gets in way of Iran deal

Why has Trump threatened to bomb Oman – for a second time?

President Donald Trump threatened Monday to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a US deal with Iran on the Strait of Hormuz and called for Tehran to surrender in a war that has become a growing political burden.

Control of the waterway, which Iran has effectively closed since the conflict began on February 28, remains at the heart of the deadlock between Tehran and Washington.

With whipsawing fuel prices and public opposition to the war weighing on Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections, Trump has faced mounting pressure to end a stalemate that has dragged on for nearly six months.

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, referring to ongoing talks between Oman and Iran on control of the strait, which lies between the two countries.

Oman, a US ally in the Gulf, has not publicly commented on Trump’s remarks.

Tehran and Muscat have been discussing for weeks future navigation arrangements through the route, and Iran’s foreign ministry said earlier Monday the two sides were working on a joint declaration.

Trump calls on Iran to surrender; IRGC threatens with ‘maximum deterrence’

More…

Trump Doubles Down on Declaring Strait of Hormuz U.S. Territory

Iran Threatens to Break U.S. Blockade

  • Trump repeats declaration that he’ll make Strait of Hormuz a “US territory”, calling it “a great idea”.
  • Iran goes “fully offensive”: Tehran threatens escalation if diplomacy fails, after last week’s military command reshuffle.
  • MoU expires: Iran says the US-Iran agreement is effectively dead & “irrelevant”. 
  • Trump threatens Oman: Trump warns “we’ll bomb the s**t out of them.”
  • Backchannel denied: Tehran rejects Trump’s claim of IRGC communications.
US President Donald Trump during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, U

President Donald Trump doubled down Monday on declaring the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory, asserting that Washington has “total control” of the strategic waterway as Tehran threatened a military attack to break the U.S. naval blockade and declared a shift toward a more offensive posture.

  • US President Donald Trump says Iran should “put up the white flag of surrender” as the two nations’ memorandum of understanding (MoU) expired on Monday. He tells Fox News that his administration is holding talks with the Revolutionary Guards – a claim denied by the IRGC.
  • Speaking in Tehran, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says “gross” US violations rendered the MoU deadline “entirely moot”, adding that Iran’s forces are ready to respond if attacked. The Iran-US MoU, signed in June, expired as talks to end the war have been deadlocked.
  • Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Brigadier General Yadollah Javani says Iran’s defensive posture is poised to shift to an offensive one under a new “maximum deterrence” policy.

Report: Iranians Facing 400 Percent Food Price Increases as U.S. Blockade Crushes Economy

US eyes ‘indefinite’ naval blockade, vows to isolate Tehran

Trump says he will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory

“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” Trump said in an Aug. 14 speech in Garden City, New York. “Essentially that’s what we have. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to.”

Tehran says Hormuz under its control

  • Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control after US President Donald Trump threatened to make it a US territory “pretty soon”.
  • Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi says the waterway blockade will continue until the US accepts defeat.
  • Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the Islamabad MoU marked an “end of the war, not a ceasefire”, pointing out that the US violated the deal and fighting resumed, leaving no 60-day ceasefire to extend.

Issa: Likely Won’t Have ‘Meaningful’ Iran Talks Until Their Leadership Changes

  • US Vice President JD Vance has outlined Washington’s key objectives in the Iran conflict as keeping energy prices stable for Americans, preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons and securing a stronger US position.
  • US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says that the US can sustain its blockade against Iran “indefinitely”.
  • Iran’s military disputes US assertions that maritime traffic is flowing normally through the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining that no vessel passes without its authorisation.
  • US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the United States will apply economic measures against Iran that have “never been seen” before in efforts to isolate Tehran.

Iran: Environmental Terrorism

Look at the shores of Qeshm Island in Iran right now: coastlines buried under thick black sludge and crude oil flooding the waters. A direct result of the IRGC targeting commercial oil carriers in the Strait of Hormuz.

This isn’t defense; it’s pure environmental terrorism by a desperate regime. The IRGC would rather ignite the Persian Gulf and poison Iran’s marine life, coral reefs, and coastal communities than admit their strategic defeat.

But why expect environmental responsibility from a mafia that massacres Iranian citizens, tortures political prisoners, and executes our youth? A regime that shows zero mercy to human beings will never care about dead wildlife or ruined ecosystems.

Bombing tankers and turning Qeshm into a toxic hazard isn’t a show of strength, it’s the reckless tantrums of a dying dictatorship cornered in its own waters. They are isolated, financially drained, and burning down their own backyard out of sheer panic.

To my fellow Iranians: the regime is suffocating in its own chaos. Stay resilient. The Lion and Sun will inevitably rise over a free Iran.

To President Trump and the international community: maintain maximum pressure and keep the screws tight. Don’t back down now. The Iranian people are ready to finish what was started.

The only long-term basis for peace and security in the Middle East is eliminating Iran’s current regime. Trump has refused to face up to this reality before. There is little hope he will do so now.

Trump Blasts “Unbelievably Duplicitous” Iranian Leaders

Trump Doubles Down on U.S. ‘Total Control’ of Hormuz: Iran Can Crumble Economically or Get ‘Blown Away’

“We have total control over the Hormuz Strait right now. They don’t have control. We have total control. We own it,” Trump told reporters Tuesday evening after returning from Ohio.

President Donald Trump doubled down Tuesday on his assertion that the United States has “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz, warning Iran could either continue buckling under mounting economic pressure or risk getting “blown away” if it challenges American forces.

The president argued that the balance of power in the Middle East has fundamentally shifted since the U.S.-Israeli campaign against the Islamic Republic began in February.

“We have a country that has been the bully of the Middle East for 50 years,” Trump said. “And they’re no longer the bully of the Middle East.”

Update:

Iran has rejected Trump’s claim that Washington has “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz, saying the critical waterway will remain closed until the US accepts its demands and changes its “behaviour”.

Trump Blasts “Unbelievably Duplicitous” Iranian Leaders After They Deny Negotiations With the US are Taking Place

Donald Trump seems to be losing patience, saying that this is the last chance that they are in negotiations.

He criticised Iran earlier today in a Truth Social post, saying that the leaders were effectively lying, that every time he says they’re in talks, they are actually in talks, although the Iranians come out and say they’re not.

President Trump says he called off an attack against Iran and that a deal with Iran is “imminent,” claiming negotiations will begin on Monday

U.S. State Department Issues Worldwide Security Warning as Trump Announces Iran Talks, Says Regional Allies Urged Him to Halt Planned Strikes

Trump: Iran talks ongoing, says ‘last chance’ for ‘good’ deal

  • US President Donald Trump claims talks with Iran are ongoing, saying this is Tehran’s “last chance to sign a good document”.
  • Earlier, Trump said an agreement with Iran was imminent and negotiations would begin on Monday.
  • Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says a new Strait of Hormuz shipping route being discussed with Oman will be one path with entry and exit lanes. Regarding talks with the US, Baghaei said there are no plans to receive a delegation or send an Iranian one.

Trump says he will not let Iran charge for Hormuz transit

Asked whether Iran will be willing to “return to a fully free navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump says he is not going to let Iran impose fees.

“It has to be [free], I am not going to let them charge. If anybody is going to charge, we will charge, we are the ones … with a total control,” he said. “We have a thing called a blockade … No, no, there is not going to be charging. We are not talking about charging at all. There won’t be charging.”

Previously:

Continue reading Trump Blasts “Unbelievably Duplicitous” Iranian Leaders

Iran: will it be a Bad War or a Bad Deal?

Options in Iran Are Bad War or Bad Deal

Trump: U.S. Navy ‘Controls the Strait 100%’ with ‘Steel Wall’ Blockade — Iran Escalation

Iran Won’t Reopen Strait of Hormuz without US Concessions

Trump Rejects Iran’s Six-Point Ultimatum, Says He Is ‘Now Demanding Compensation’ in ‘All F

Trump claims Hormuz Strait open, seeks Iranian compensation

  • President Donald Trump says the United States will seek compensation from Iran for casualties in the war. The move came days after Tehran demanded that Washington pay for damages from the five-month conflict as a condition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
  • Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei conveyed a message of unity during a recent seven-hour meeting. Pezeshkian confirmed that Khamenei is in perfect health despite making no public appearances since taking power.
  • Khamenei’s office has announced several new key appointments, including naming a former wartime commander and veteran political insider to head the nation’s highest security body.

Continue reading Iran: will it be a Bad War or a Bad Deal?

The Return of the Shah Is Gaining Momentum in Iran

We can only hope that the regime falls….

The Return of the Shah Is Gaining Momentum in Iran

Black and white image of Donald Trump with American flags in the background, symbolizing political themes and national identity.

Trump Blasts “Unbelievably Duplicitous” Iranian Leaders After They Deny Negotiations With the US are Taking Place

Tehran’s ‘Last Chance Before Decapitation’

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Trump’s 5D Chess on Iran: He Is Finishing the Job, But the Endgame Is Still Ahead
 
  • Qatar’s Foreign Ministry says diplomatic efforts are ongoing to find a solution to the US-Iran conflict and all mediators are working closely to facilitate negotiations and exchange proposals between the countries.
  • A vessel has been struck in the Strait of Hormuz near Oman, the UK maritime security firm Vanguard says. One crew member is missing.
  • US President Donald Trump says talks with Iran are under way, warning that the negotiations are Tehran’s “last chance” to secure a deal. Tehran denies holding talks with Washington, saying it is speaking to Oman about the Strait of Hormuz.
Continue reading The Return of the Shah Is Gaining Momentum in Iran

Is Iran’s Mojito Mufti Knocking on Heavens Door?

It is very difficult speaking with the deceased.

  • Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says communication with the country’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is “very difficult at the moment”
  • … but in any case, his presence is a very great source of strength for us so that we can continue,” Pezeshkian said
  • Khamenei, who was wounded in the US-Israeli strike that launched the Middle East war, has not appeared in public since succeeding his father, who was killed in the same attack

Iranian Leaders Fear Mojtaba Khamenei’s Decline — Officials ‘Would Not Be Surprised’ by His Martyrdom

Senior Iranian officials are reportedly growing increasingly concerned about the health of the country’s unseen Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, with one source close to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s government saying officials “would not be surprised” to soon hear news of his death.

IranWire reported Thursday, citing two sources close to Pezeshkian’s government, that rumors Khamenei is in “extremely critical condition” and could die at any moment are circulating widely within the highest levels of the Iranian regime.

One source close to Pezeshkian’s cabinet told the opposition outlet that Khamenei’s physical condition is poor.

“We would not be surprised if we heard news of his martyrdom soon,” the source said.