Trump’s ‘economic warfare’ violates international law: Iran

Iran has declared that the United States' impending "economic warfare" against the nation would contravene international law. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei emphasized in a statement on X that banks, companies, or airports operating under a single country's sole jurisdiction cannot be compelled by other states "to forgo lawful commerce with a third State."

President Donald Trump has warned of severe repercussions for nations that continue to support Iran, as Washington aims to escalate economic pressure on Tehran. Baghaei contended that such "secondary sanctions" violate the United Nations Charter, as they constitute "economic coercion designed to force a sovereign state to alter its lawful policy choices."

He further argued that these measures, coupled with the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, would diminish the sovereignty of other countries to something "provisional, conditional, and revocable at the whim of another power." Baghaei cautioned that these actions risk reverting to a form of "full-scale classic colonialism."