The United States and Iran escalated rhetoric on Friday as Washington prepares to impose what it describes as the toughest sanctions in history on Monday at 2:00 PM EDT. The measures target any entity providing Iran with financial or material support, a move Tehran branded as illegal interference in global trade.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that penalties would extend to countries supplying Iran with “any type of lifeline,” while President Donald Trump said Tehran seeks an agreement but remains unwilling to accept terms Washington deems acceptable. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei dismissed the planned sanctions as an assertion of U.S. authority and stated that secondary measures lack international legal standing.
Iranian military leadership responded with threats of retaliation. Major General Ali Abdollahi, the country’s military chief, vowed “crushing, punishing and devastating responses” to further threats, while Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf acknowledged mounting economic pressure and stressed that military strength alone cannot sustain the nation without economic growth and domestic production.
The escalation coincides with a sharp decline in maritime activity through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil supply. Ship-tracking data from Kpler shows only four commodity vessels crossed the strait on Thursday, none of which were large crude carriers or liquefied natural gas tankers. The seven-day average currently stands at 8 million barrels per day, down from pre-conflict levels exceeding 20 million barrels daily and roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption.
China accounted for more than 80% of Iran’s seaborne oil purchases in 2025, according to Kpler, underscoring Beijing’s role in sustaining Tehran’s energy revenues despite U.S. pressure. The conflict, now nearly six months old, has resulted in thousands of casualties, including 18 U.S. military deaths and more than 750 wounded personnel, according to official reports.
Analysts warn that further disruptions to Hormuz traffic could amplify supply risks in an already tight oil market. The U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has previously highlighted the strait’s strategic importance, noting that any prolonged reduction in flows would have global repercussions.
