US official gives ultimatum to nations in Middle East: Stop trade with Iran, or US will cut ties
In total Burke, a top US Treasury Department official, visited over 50 countries across the Middle East and Europe, warning them to cease relationships with Iran.
U.S. Treasury Department official Jonathan Burke visited Middle Eastern nations, delivering a stern ultimatum to cease trade with Iran, or face severed ties with the United States, according to a Friday Wall Street Journal report. The warning came as part of the ongoing Operation Economic Outcast, which has imposed heavy sanctions on Iran since August.
In response to the threat, Iraq halted Iranian flights to and from their country in an effort to distance themselves from any sanctions on airports that serve Iranian carriers.
Burke's meetings, which spanned over 50 countries across the Middle East and Europe, aimed to emphasize the seriousness of the U.S. stance on the matter. Middle Eastern officials told the WSJ that the officials were taking the warnings very seriously.
Oman, which has often acted as a middleman between Tehran and the West, was the first country Burke visited. His visit served to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to enforcing sanctions against Iran, and that refusing to cooperate could lead to severe economic consequences for the partner nations.
Although flights from Iran to China and Russia are still permitted, Iranian-affiliated businesses and agents within those countries still face sanctions from the U.S. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged the impact of U.S. sanctions during a recent speech to the United Nations General Assembly, but refused to concede defeat.
In an interview with Qatar's Al Jazeera, Pezeshkian labeled the U.S. president as a "bully" and vowed that Iran would overcome all problems with strength, despite the pressure from America and Israel.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
