Qalibaf: Iran must overcome 'unjust sanctions' as U.S. ramps up economic pressure

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf said on Friday that Iran must ⁠plan to overcome "unjust sanctions", ⁠a day after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced what he described as the toughest sanctions ever imposed ⁠on Iran.

Bessent said on Thursday the measures would be detailed on Monday, suggesting they could lessen the need for further major military operations.

Qalibaf, one of Iran's most influential political figures and Tehran's top negotiator in talks with the United States, said economic development and ⁠security ⁠were closely linked.

He accused the United States and Israel of waging economic and "cognitive" warfare after concluding they could not prevail in a direct military confrontation with Iran and Iraq.

"If you look at the resources and raw ⁠materials of Muslim countries, you will realize that our enemies come to plunder them," Qalibaf told Iranian and Iraqi business representatives in Baghdad, according to his Telegram channel.

"Therefore, we must make plans to deal ⁠with ‌the ‌unjust sanctions so that we can ⁠overcome them."

He also ‌called for stronger economic ties between Baghdad and Tehran and said ⁠the two countries could ⁠use their national currencies in trade to ⁠reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar.