ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran's foreign ministry on Thursday condemned Washington's economic sanctions against Tehran, calling them a “crime against humanity.” The remarks come shortly after US President Donald Trump vowed to launch the “most crushing economic operation” against Iran.
“The US economic sanctions against Iran, which have targeted the fundamental human rights of every single Iranian citizen, are a clear manifestation of 'economic terrorism' and a 'crime against humanity,' and the orchestrators and perpetrators of these sanctions deserve trial and punishment,” the ministry said in a statement.
Despite the intensification of what it said were “illegal and inhumane” sanctions, the ministry said Tehran remains “steadfast and determined in defending its security and national interests” against US “military, economic, political, and psychological” pressure.
The US launched Operation Epic Fury jointly with Israel against Iran in late February, striking thousands of targets across the country over six weeks. Tehran responded with drone and missile strikes across the region, targeting alleged US assets - particularly in Gulf Arab states - as well as Israel.
A preliminary ceasefire mediated by Pakistan followed in early April, with the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed in mid-June formalizing a halt to hostilities on all fronts.
However, the Understanding has since been tested by several rounds of strikes and counterstrikes, the latest of which escalated on July 8 before subsiding later that month. Washington also reinstated a naval blockade of Iranian ports in July.
Importantly, the US in mid-April launched the high-intensity Economic Fury campaign as the financial counterpart to Operation Epic Fury, aiming to isolate Tehran from the global financial system and cut off its remaining revenue streams.
As part of the effort, the US Treasury announced it would not renew sanctions waivers for Iranian crude oil, effectively criminalizing its purchase, including stranded oil at sea. Washington also warned global banks that facilitating transactions for Tehran would trigger secondary sanctions and loss of access to the US dollar.
US President Trump on Thursday vowed to launch "the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country" against Iran, describing the move as "economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale."
In a Truth Social post, he warned that "any country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face tremendous economic consequences," adding that "oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies - it all needs to stop now."
The US commander-in-chief attributed the escalation to Tehran's failure to reach a deal with Washington, stating, “No one has given the Islamic Republic of Iran a greater opportunity to make a deal than me. Tragically, for them, they have failed to take it.”
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