Iran warns new sanctions support would be an act of war
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council chief Mohsen Rezaei said on Sunday any country backing new U.S. economic measures against Tehran would be treated as a belligerent, escalating rhetoric as Washington prepares to…
Source: Associated Press · August 24, 2026 at 4:01 AM · AI-assisted report
CorroboratedWASHINGTON, 24 AUGUST 2026 —
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council chief Mohsen Rezaei said on Sunday any country backing new U.S. economic measures against Tehran would be treated as a belligerent, escalating rhetoric as Washington prepares to unveil fresh sanctions.
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Rezaei, a former Revolutionary Guard commander, posted on X that Tehran would retaliate “in a seismic manner,” listing additional oil-shipping routes in the Persian Gulf as potential targets if the United States imposes what it calls an unprecedented level of economic warfare.
President Masoud Pezeshkian defended the six-month-old memorandum of understanding with Washington as the least bad option in a conflict that has left Iran unable to attract investment. The 60-day negotiating window tied to the June accord closed last week with no compromise on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint through which a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes.
“There is not a single provision in this agreement that amounts to capitulation,” Pezeshkian told state-run IRNA. He added that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei sets policy and the government executes it.
Shipping through the strait remained at reduced levels on Sunday, the U.S.-led multinational maritime coalition said, with no confirmed attacks in the past 48 hours. The U.S. Navy said its blockade of Iranian ports had redirected 70 commercial ships and disabled three by disabling their propulsion systems.
In parallel, Iran’s newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority published a list of dozens of vessels it claims violated transit rules and will face future penalties such as fines or seizures.
Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is due in Tehran on Monday for talks aimed at defusing U.S.-Iran tensions, Iranian state television reported. Two regional officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Islamabad sees the visit as part of efforts to bring both sides back to negotiations.
Earlier Sunday, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon destroyed homes in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, while in the West Bank gunfire killed a 14-year-old in Nablus and wounded at least five others in Zawaida, according to Palestinian and hospital sources.
In Gaza, a four-year-old boy died and five people were injured when an Israeli airstrike hit a house in central Gaza City. Israel’s military later said it had killed a Hamas commander in the strike. In the occupied West Bank, a 61-year-old Palestinian who uses a prosthetic leg after being shot last year was beaten by a 16-year-old Israeli settler.
The victim, Saeed Muhammad Ibrahim Rabah, told the Associated Press the attack was an attempt to force his family to leave.
The escalation follows Washington’s vow to intensify economic pressure on Iran after the collapse of the 60-day negotiation period. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is expected to announce the new measures on Monday. Rezaei’s appointment to the security council this month has been widely interpreted as a sign Tehran is hardening its stance. His warning on X was immediately amplified by state media.
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