Iran Threatens Neighbours Over US Economic War

Iran's newly appointed security chief Mohsen Rezaei publicly warned this week that any neighbouring country joining US efforts to squeeze Tehran's economy would be treated as an enemy, with Iranian retaliation targeting their economic interests. The threat landed as Trump doubled down on his claim that the Strait of Hormuz falls under US territorial jurisdiction — a position that has no basis in international law and has further inflamed tensions. Iraq moved quickly to de-escalate, with its president stating that Iraqi territory would not be used to attack other states, after which Iran granted passage to some Iraqi oil tankers through Hormuz. The episode has reshuffled regional allegiances at speed, with US military refuelling aircraft quietly withdrawn from a Bulgarian base that Iranian officials had reportedly been weighing as a strike target.