Pezeshkian Dismisses US Economic Strategy as Strait of Hormuz Standoff

The president’s defiance follows US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s Monday announcement regarding a strategy of economic asphyxiation aimed at crippling Iran. Tehran maintains that decades of existing sanctions have already hardened its economy against such external shocks. Pezeshkian noted that while his government prefers negotiation, it remains prepared to resist further pressure, framing the current situation as a continuation of long-standing regional tensions.

At the center of the dispute is the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has remained paralyzed since February 28. While President Donald Trump asserts that Washington holds total control over the passage, the Revolutionary Guards issued a blunt counter-statement on Wednesday. The group confirmed that no vessel will transit the strait without Iranian authorization, warning that the waterway will remain closed unless the United States accepts Tehran’s undisclosed conditions for reopening.