Iran faces mounting economic pressure from renewed American sanctions, with visible effects on its domestic economy and daily life for ordinary Iranians.
As Tehran finds itself increasingly cornered, Iranian officials have begun outlining several potential responses to what they describe as economic warfare. These range from military strikes beyond the Middle East to fundamental shifts in nuclear policy and threats to global energy supplies.
In response to President Trump's recent moves, Iranian officials have threatened to extend their military operations beyond the Middle East, potentially targeting European Union and NATO member states such as Bulgaria.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei declared that "Iran has the legitimate right to turn to the source and origin of any act of aggression." He added that "we have made clear that any action considered as support for the military aggression of the United States and Israel against Iran constitutes, according to international law, participation in an act of aggression."
Simultaneously, Tehran is publicly discussing the possibility of withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and openly developing nuclear weapons.
Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, addressed the potential policy shift: "The whole world is saying, 'So the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has no effect?' When America wages such a war, people ask: why shouldn't we ourselves aspire to nuclear weapons?"
While intelligence assessments indicate Iran does not yet possess an atomic bomb, experts note the country retains the capability to produce what is known as a "dirty bomb" — a conventional explosive combined with radioactive material.
Iranian officials have also threatened to completely halt oil tanker traffic through the Persian Gulf, which would cause global energy prices to spike dramatically. Baghaei stated that "we played chess for a long time... we also learned to play poker. Now, for some time, we've been playing a combination of the two."
Rezaei emphasized the severity of Iran's potential response: "If the economic war continues, not a single drop of oil will be exported, not through the Strait of Hormuz and not from anywhere in the Persian Gulf." He warned that "Iran will view any participation or support by a country in America's economic war against the Iranian people as an act of war," adding that retaliation would come "in an earthquake-like manner."
Iran also has the option of deploying Houthi forces in Yemen to attack vessels passing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait. This would paralyze the global economy by closing both major maritime chokepoints to Western shipping.
