Iran's security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, has dismissed Donald Trump's economic threats as "empty talk" and warned neighbouring states against helping Washington tighten its sanctions campaign, saying Tehran would "target their interests" and could block oil flowing through the Persian Gulf. The remarks come as Trump prepares to intensify economic pressure on Iran, with the US Treasury Secretary promising the toughest sanctions yet, expected to be detailed on Monday, raising the stakes for major Gulf energy producers such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE that have built alternative export routes bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

Rezaei said he did not want to widen the conflict but suggested Iran could also threaten those alternative routes if neighbours sided with the US. His hardline stance contrasts sharply with President Masoud Pezeshkian, who said on Sunday that Iran "cannot continue with war forever" and defended a June memorandum of understanding with Washington that later collapsed, despite reported reservations from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's camp. Pezeshkian argued Tehran must resolve its "neither war nor peace" limbo and stressed that military strength alone could not sustain the state without public support, pointing to an apparent split within Iran's leadership over how to handle Washington.