Drivers queue at a petrol station to refuel in Tehran.
Day 180 | Iranians queue for petrol after US announces new sanctions
Long queues formed at petrol stations in Tehran on Tuesday after the United States announced fresh sanctions aimed at pressuring Iran into submission.
Washington has turned to pulling economic levers six months into a war on Iran that has ground to a stalemate, with peace talks stalled and most traffic through the crucial Strait of Hormuz blocked.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday laid out plans for the "economic asphyxiation" of Iran, saying the "objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime".
Though Iran's leaders have shrugged off the tough talk, having already endured sanctions for decades, some residents of the capital feared that they would feel the pinch.
Iran had already been grappling with sky-high inflation before the war, which fuelled an anti-government protest movement that peaked in January.
Authorities met the movement with a crackdown that foreign rights groups said killed thousands of people. The government has attributed the violence to "terrorist acts" orchestrated by the United States and ‘Israel’.
Announcing the new sanctions, Bessent said countries that did not support the US economic campaign would "share in the isolation" of Iran.
The Treasury Department said expanded secondary sanctions would target Iran's digital assets and its technology, gold, aviation and shipping sectors.
The measures hit entities around the world, including in the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Europe.
China, a key customer for Iranian oil, said Tuesday that it opposed the sanctions and vowed to "take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its own rights and interests".
Bessent did not rule out the possibility of Chinese banks being targeted.
Iran, however, was dismissive of the moves and predicted "another defeat" for Washington.
"We've been waiting for these plans for a long time, and the government is and was ready and has a two-year plan to manage these events," said Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh.
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Read more: Day 181 | Iran says US sanctions will achieve nothing
Iran urges UN to assess humanitarian impact of US sanctions
Iran has called on the United Nations to investigate the humanitarian consequences of US sanctions, accusing Washington of harming civilians and violating international law.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the Security Council president and UN member states, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asked the UN to assess the humanitarian and human rights impact of the sanctions.
Araghchi called on the UN to examine how the measures affect access to food, medicine, healthcare, energy, transportation, humanitarian assistance and other essential goods.
Iran also urged the Security Council and UN member states to condemn what it described as unilateral coercive measures and secondary sanctions, and called on governments not to recognize or implement them.
The appeal follows a new US Treasury campaign to tighten sanctions on Iran, targeting sectors including aviation, shipping, technology, gold and digital assets.
Iran has described the campaign as “economic terrorism” and urged Washington to stop pressuring third countries and companies to cut economic ties with Tehran.
US resorted to economic warfare after depleting ‘strategic weapons’: IRGC
Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi, a spokesman for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed the US resorted to economic sanctions against Iran after running short of strategic weapons, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
“The United States has suffered shortages in strategic weapons following its recent war against Iran, and replenishing some of its depleted stocks could take years,” Mohebbi told reporters in Isfahan.
Mohebbi said Washington had expected Iran’s missile arsenal to be gradually exhausted during the war.
“Washington had expected Iran’s missile stocks to run out over time, but Iranian missile operations continued,” he said.
He claimed the depletion of US strategic weapons stocks was among the reasons Washington “retreated” from the confrontation.
US sanctions ‘state and economic terrorism’ against Iran: Iranian FM
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has condemned new US sanctions against Iran as an “act of state and economic terrorism” in a letter to the UN secretary-general, the Security Council and UN member states.
Araghchi accused Washington of trying to cut Iran’s lawful economic ties with other countries after failing to achieve its objectives through war or persuade other states to join its campaign.
The letter said the sanctions deliberately harm civilians by restricting access to food, medicine, medical equipment, energy and other essential goods.
Iran called on the Security Council and UN member states to condemn and reject what it described as “unilateral coercive measures and secondary sanctions.”
Araghchi also urged countries not to recognize or implement the US sanctions and called on Washington to stop pressuring third countries to change their economic relations with Iran.
Ghalibaf defends negotiations with US in public letter
Iranian parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf defended negotiations with the US, saying talks do not amount to retreat if they protect Iran’s national interests.
In a letter published by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, Ghalibaf rejected criticism of the negotiations in the Iranian newspaper Kayhan.
“Any rational action, any authoritative dialogue, or any attempt to take the nation’s rights from the enemy should not be incorrectly defined as compromise and passivity,” Ghalibaf wrote.
He said Iran must preserve its “instruments of power” to consolidate what he described as the achievements of the war and protect the country from threats.
Ghalibaf also rejected accusations that negotiating with Washington or recognizing the negotiating team’s achievements amounted to betrayal.
Araghchi demands compensation from Washington
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US bears responsibility for compensating Iran for all damages caused by what Tehran describes as unlawful actions.
In a message to the United Nations and the UN Security Council, Araghchi said, “Washington bears responsibility for its unlawful actions and for compensating us for all damages.”
Hegseth says military action still possible in US-'Israel' war on Iran
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington has not ruled out military action against Iran as the US continues its campaign of economic pressure against Tehran.
Speaking to Newsmax, Hegseth said economic pressure is currently the most effective tool against Iran but stressed that military options remain on the table.
“By no means are we foreclosing using kinetic strikes anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz,” Hegseth said.
‘We will judge Hamas by what it does, not only by what it says,’ US envoy tells UNSC
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz blamed Hamas for escalating violence in the Gaza Strip while acknowledging that the group could still fulfill its commitments under the ceasefire agreement.
Waltz accused Hamas of responsibility for violence against Americans, ‘Israelis’ and Palestinians, describing the group as an organization that has committed “horrific acts of violence.”
Waltz said Hamas had committed to disarm twice, including after US President Donald Trump’s peace plan in October 2025 and more recently after accepting a 15-point roadmap proposed by the Board of Peace.
“We will judge Hamas by what it does, not only by what it says,” Waltz said.
His comments came as ‘Israel’ has intensified attacks across the Gaza Strip, including strikes on police facilities and aid infrastructure that have killed Palestinian civilians.
Netanyahu has rejected the 15-point roadmap, with reports indicating that the move has contributed to tensions between US and ‘Israeli’ leaders.
Iran nuclear chief accuses US, 'Israel' of pressuring IAEA to inspect damaged nuclear sites
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization chief Mohammad Eslami accused the US and ‘Israel’ on Wednesday of pressuring the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect Iranian nuclear facilities damaged by military strikes.
Eslami said the pressure was aimed at determining the extent of damage caused by the attacks.
“At a time when the IAEA has no such protocol,” Eslami said, the US and ‘Israel’ are pushing the agency to visit the damaged sites to assess what happened.
Eslami said Iran remains in a “wartime situation” and that the damaged facilities have not yet been secured for inspections.
He also argued that Iranian legislation applies to nuclear facilities affected by military strikes and that the IAEA lacks a clear protocol for inspecting sites that have come under attack.
Iranian warship confronts vessel attempting Hormuz transit: Fars news agency
Iran’s state-run Fars news agency reported that a “large Iranian warship” confronted an Indian oil tanker attempting to transit the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz.
Fars identified the vessel as the HAANA and said it was attempting to pass through the route known as the “Oman corridor” when it was deterred following a warning from the Iranian warship.
The agency said no vessels had been observed using the southern route during the previous 24 hours.
Iran threatens ‘hostile media’ as ‘potential military targets’
Iran’s armed forces spokesperson Brigadier-General Abolfazl Shekarchi said media outlets Tehran considers hostile could be treated as military targets, according to Iran’s state-run Fars news agency.
Shekarchi accused BBC, Iran International and Radio Farda of having direct links to Mossad, the CIA and other intelligence agencies, without providing evidence for the claims.
“These pseudo-media outlets are not media outlets in our view,” Shekarchi said, adding that people working for them could potentially be placed on a list of military targets.
He also accused the outlets of promoting violence and harming public mental wellbeing.
Trump says he doesn’t think Iran’s supreme leader is dead
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he does not believe Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is dead, amid ongoing speculation over his whereabouts and condition.
“I don’t think he’s dead,” Trump said during a live phone interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck.
Trump claimed Khamenei was “very seriously wounded,” referring to injuries affecting the left side of his body, including his arm and leg.
Trump suggested that Iranian officials could be maintaining the appearance that Khamenei is alive while continuing to seek his approval on major decisions.
“They continue to consult him,” Trump said, adding that Iranian negotiators could not necessarily be trusted.
Asked about the prospects of winning the war, Trump said US financial strength was “unbelievable” and that it was contributing to what he described as “a very big victory.”
Iran's president to meet Putin next week after nuclear plant agreement: Iranian media
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet next week on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said the two countries have agreed to a $25 billion memorandum of understanding to build new nuclear power plants.
Jalali said land has already been designated near the Persian Gulf for a new nuclear facility.
The planned nuclear cooperation is separate from a memorandum of understanding signed between Iran and the US in June.
The SCO, which includes 10 countries across Europe and Asia, focuses on regional security, economic cooperation and other shared issues among its members.
IRGC claims Iran, Oman agreed on Hormuz waters, revenue shares
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Wednesday that Iran and Oman have reached an agreement on their respective shares of the waters and revenues of the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC also said the maritime passage near Oman is under Iran’s "full control."
Additionally, it said Iran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the United States stops creating obstacles and returns to a memorandum of understanding.
The statements come amid heightened tensions surrounding the strategic waterway, through which a significant share of global energy shipments passes.
IRGC: “We must remain united”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Wednesday that political differences are natural but stressed the need to maintain national unity in the face of what it described as the enemy.
"Political differences are natural, but we must remain united in the face of the enemy," the statement said.
It also said the Strait of Hormuz remains under Iranian control, adding that no enemy military vessels are currently inside Gulf waters.
Qalibaf: Negotiations are neither inherently good nor bad
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said negotiations should not be viewed as inherently positive or negative, stressing that dialogue with adversaries can be justified when pursued from a position of strength.
In a response to Iranian newspaper Kayhan, Qalibaf said rational actions rooted in revolutionary principles, including efforts to secure the Iranian people's rights, should not be mistakenly characterized as compromise or passivity.
US Treasury vows to paralyze Iran’s financial lifelines
- Bessent warns Iran against weaponizing Strait of Hormuz.
- US targets Iran’s remaining economic lifelines.
- Washington threatens entities financing Iran’s government.
- Bessent vows to protect global financial system.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reaffirmed Washington's commitment to protecting the global financial architecture while neutralizing economic threats from Tehran, issuing a series of strict warnings regarding Iran's attempt to disrupt international trade.
The US Department of the Treasury declared that Washington will take all necessary steps to maintain global market stability while cutting off the financial channels that sustain the Iranian government.
"Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated during an address outlining expanded economic actions.
Washington warns against leveraging Hormuz
A central focus of the Treasury Department's position is the protection of international shipping lanes. Treasury officials underscored that Iran will not be allowed to threaten global maritime trade or leverage control over the Strait of Hormuz to extract political concessions.
Bessent pointed out that maintaining open access through international waters remains non-negotiable for global energy stability, warning that attempts to disrupt shipping would be met with direct economic counter-measures.
Sustaining pressure on Iran's remaining economic lifelines
The Treasury Department pledged to intensify financial pressure on what remains of the Iranian economy's vital channels.
The administration's focus targets five specific sectors identified as key to propping up the regime: shipping, aviation, digital assets, technology, and gold.
Furthermore, the US government made clear that foreign entities, third-party facilitators, and international banking networks enabling Tehran financially will face direct accountability.
Institutions operating in gray areas or helping facilitate illicit Iranian transactions risk complete exclusion from the US dollar-based financial system.
Report reveals damage caused to CIA equipment from Iranian strikes
Iranian missile and drone attacks have caused unprecedented damage to US intelligence posts and surveillance equipment across the Middle East, with repair costs expected to reach into the billions of dollars, according to four people with knowledge of the matter, cited by NBC News.
The damage, which has hit buildings and specialized hardware used by the CIA and other American spy agencies, is more extensive than any destruction those agencies have previously endured, the sources told NBC News.
The attacks form part of the broader conflict that escalated after US and ‘Israeli’ operations against Iran began in late February.
“The attacks on buildings and surveillance equipment in the Middle East caused unprecedented damage for the CIA and other U.S. spy agencies,” the NBC report stated.
The Iranian strikes have forced Congress to identify funds to restore the targeted facilities and prompted officials to reassess how to deploy personnel and intelligence resources in a region now confronting a heightened threat from Tehran’s drone and missile capabilities.
Earlier reporting throughout the conflict documented widespread strikes on US military sites in multiple countries, including damage to radars, satellite communications infrastructure, hangars, runways, and other assets.
Assessments drawing on satellite imagery indicated scores of structures and pieces of equipment had been hit, with some high-value systems such as advanced missile-defense radars among those affected.
Prior estimates of repair and replacement costs for broader US facilities in the region have ranged from roughly $2 billion to more than $5 billion in various analyses, though those figures largely focused on military infrastructure rather than dedicated intelligence sites.
Pentagon officials have previously noted that official war-cost tallies often exclude full reconstruction expenses.
The latest assessment underscores the vulnerability of fixed intelligence and surveillance positions to Iran’s retaliatory campaign, even as US forces have conducted extensive operations against Iranian targets.
Rubio told counterparts US will not carry out strikes against Iran "for the time being": Axios
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told several of his counterparts in recent days that the US is not expected to carry out new strikes against Iran “for the time being,” according to US officials cited by Axios.
Washington will now focus on “other means of pressure,” including the sanctions announced by Trump this week, which he described as an “economic D-Day,” the report added.
The policy is expected to continue at least until after the midterm elections, when new military strikes could be back again on the table, another anonymous official said.
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Read more: Day 179 | US vows “economic asphyxiation” of Iran with new sanctions
