Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday dismissed the latest round of US sanctions as futile, insisting that Washington's economic pressure will not force Tehran to change course. Speaking to state-affiliated media, Pezeshkian said that "with the measures that the government's economic sectors have foreseen, America will not achieve anything with economic pressure at this stage, just as it was unable to achieve anything in the war."
His remarks came in response to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's announcement of a campaign to impose "economic asphyxiation" on Iran, with threats of consequences for countries that do not cooperate. Tehran has long weathered sanctions, which have been in place in various forms since the 1979 Islamic revolution, and its leaders have repeatedly vowed to resist external pressure.
Pezeshkian added that Iran's principle is "understanding and resolving issues through interaction and negotiation," but that the country will "stand firm against economic pressures, as we have done so far and will continue to do." The comments underscore the deep impasse between Tehran and Washington, particularly over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Strait of Hormuz: a global chokepoint in dispute
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, normally carries about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas exports. Since late February, Iran has controlled the strait and has sought to impose fees on vessels transiting it, disrupting global energy markets and raising concerns in European capitals that rely heavily on Gulf energy imports.
Washington insists on a return to free navigation, with President Donald Trump claiming that the US has "total control" over the waterway. But Tehran has rejected such assertions, and on Tuesday Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi revealed that Iran and Oman are negotiating an agreement that would bar all military vessels from the strait.
"If the understanding becomes binding, no military vessel will be permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz," Gharibabadi told state TV. "No military vessel at all." He described a proposed commercial route that would see inbound traffic from the Gulf of Oman pass entirely through Iranian waters, while outbound traffic would use a mix of Iranian and Omani territorial waters.
The Trump administration has told Muscat that it opposes parts of the evolving deal, particularly the joint Iranian-Omani management of the exit route. The US has previously threatened to bomb Oman if it "gets in the way" of its objectives in the region, a stance that has alarmed European diplomats who fear a broader conflict.
For European Union member states, the standoff over Hormuz carries significant economic and security implications. Several EU countries, including Italy, Spain, and Greece, depend on Gulf oil and gas, and any prolonged disruption would hit European consumers and industries. The bloc has so far avoided taking sides, but the escalating rhetoric between Washington and Tehran is testing its diplomatic cohesion.
Negotiations between Iran and the US have stalled, with both sides entrenched in their positions. Tehran's insistence on controlling the strait, coupled with Washington's threats of military action, has created a volatile situation that could have far-reaching consequences for global trade and energy security.
As the standoff continues, European policymakers are watching closely, aware that any miscalculation could trigger a crisis that would reverberate across the continent. The coming weeks will be critical in determining whether diplomacy can prevail or whether the region slides into further confrontation.
