Donald Trump said he would take tougher economic action against Iran and warned of severe economic consequences for any country that provides "any kind of aid to Iran."
The US President wrote on the social network Truth Social that he was launching “the most devastating economic operation ever carried out against any country,” without providing any additional details and without naming any country other than Iran.
“ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports or government agencies to provide any support to Iran will itself face HUGE economic consequences,” Trump wrote.
Trump continued: “Oil smuggling, swap lines, money transfers, money changers, ship registries, shell companies - it all needs to end NOW. You know who we're talking about."
The day before, the United Arab Emirates, a US ally, announced it would sever all financial and economic ties with Iran due to a new missile threat from Tehran.
The UAE Ministry of Defense said it detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran targeting maritime shipping; both missiles fell into the sea.
Iranian entities have long used Dubai's financial system to transfer money through exchange houses and front companies.
Following the UAE's decision, Iran's armed forces warned neighboring Gulf states against providing support to the US military, saying any assistance would be seen as collusion.
The war, which quickly drew Gulf countries into conflict and rocked global markets, has killed thousands of people as Iran demonstrated its ability to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil supplies passed until February.
The US and Iran announced ceasefires twice, in April and June, aimed at restoring free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and ending the conflict, but both agreements quickly fell apart despite Israel largely withdrawing from the fighting.
Iran remains open to dialogue with the United States but does not confuse negotiations with capitulation, adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Mohammad Mokhber said on Tuesday, state news agency Fars reported.
Military pressure and sanctions will not break Iran's resolve, Mokhber added.
On Tuesday, Trump said there were no talks with Iran. The day before, Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and special envoy, sounded an optimistic note, saying negotiations were still ongoing and "probably more active" than ever.
A 60-day truce officially ended Monday with no sign of a diplomatic settlement to the war. Tehran said Trump's threat would only further escalate hostilities.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called Trump's remarks an attempt to distract the American public's attention from domestic financial problems, including record government debt and rising interest rates.
He said Washington's insistence on policies that Araqchi described as failures would lead to further failures and alienate the Iranians.
“America’s economic terrorism threatens the global economy and the national sovereignty of countries around the world,” he said in X.
If these measures are implemented, this will be a continuation of the campaign of economic pressure on Iran.
In April, as it became clear that the military action had neither brought about the overthrow of the regime in Tehran nor its capitulation as Trump had initially hoped, the United States launched a wave of sanctions against foreign banks and companies doing business with Iran.
Trump's threats and statements on social media do not always materialize as intended. The president did not specify what specific steps the U.S. would take or name any countries, although the warning appeared to extend to U.S. allies who helped broker peace talks.
Although the post did not mention China, Chinese companies are the largest buyers of Iranian oil, which is one of Tehran's main sources of financing.
China buys more than 80% of Iran's oil exports, according to 2025 data from analytics firm Kpler. However, the US risks retaliation if it engages in further economic warfare with China, which is a major exporter to the US of important commodities such as rare earth minerals.
“Sanctions and pressure will not solve the problem,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters at a regular briefing. “China calls on all parties concerned to take responsible measures to resolve the issue through political and diplomatic means.”
