Iran has dismissed a US campaign aimed at increasing economic pressure on Tehran, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei describing the reported measures as little more than a repeat of sanctions that are already in place.
In a statement shared on X, Baghaei criticised Washington’s approach, questioning the rationale behind announcing additional restrictions when similar sanctions have already been imposed on Iran.
He also mocked the US efforts to build what Washington describes as an allied campaign against Iran. Baghaei said the United States was turning to Bahrain to demonstrate support for its pressure strategy despite what he described as the absence of significant economic exchanges between Bahrain and Iran.
His comments followed remarks by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who confirmed that he had held discussions with Bahrain’s Finance Minister Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.
According to Bessent, the talks included efforts to maintain financial pressure on Iran as Washington continues its campaign to restrict Tehran’s economic activity.
Baghaei questioned the effectiveness of involving Bahrain in such efforts, arguing that the limited scale of economic transactions between Iran and Bahrain raises doubts about the practical impact of the move.
The dispute comes as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high, with economic sanctions continuing to form a central part of Washington’s strategy toward Tehran.
Iran has consistently condemned US sanctions, arguing that they amount to economic warfare and unfairly target the country’s economy. Tehran has sought to counter the pressure by promoting domestic production, strengthening economic self-reliance and reducing dependence on foreign financial and commercial channels.
The Iranian government has also repeatedly called for greater use of alternative economic partnerships to withstand Western restrictions.
