Iran warns of oil export halt over US sanctions

Iran escalated its threats against the United States and its allies on Monday, warning that countries participating in Washington's new sanctions campaign would be treated as parties to the conflict and threatening to halt all oil exports from the Persian Gulf. The warnings came as the Trump administration announced a major financial offensive aimed at isolating Tehran amid a nearly six-month-old armed conflict. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that Tehran would respond forcefully to the expanded penalties, cautioning that measures could target nations cooperating with Washington.