{
  "id": 2905188,
  "title": "Iran has threatened to block not just the Strait of Hormuz, but the entire Persian Gulf, as it prepares for US sanctions.\n\nThe threat was made on Sunday by Mohammad Ali Yazdian, a senior adviser to the Iranian oil minister.\n\nHe told the state-run IRNA news agency that if Iran's oil exports are banned, it will not allow any oil to be exported from the Persian Gulf.\n\n\"We will not allow any oil to be exported from the Persian Gulf if our oil exports are banned,\" he said.\n\nThe Strait of Hormuz is a vital shipping lane for Persian Gulf oil exports.\n\nAbout 20% of the world's crude oil and condensate passes through the strait.\n\nIran has repeatedly threatened to block the strait in response to US sanctions.\n\nThe new US sanctions are due to come into effect on 5 November.\n\nThey will target Iran's energy sector and will also affect financial transactions.\n\nThe sanctions are part of the US effort to curb Iran's ballistic missile programme and what the Trump administration calls Iran's \"malign\" activities in the region.\n\nIran's President Hassan Rouhani has warned that the sanctions will cause chaos in the region.\n\nThe country has already seen protests and public anger over rising economic hardships.\n\nThe US has granted temporary waivers to eight countries to continue importing Iranian oil.\n\nBut Iran has vowed to find ways to circumvent the sanctions.\n\nTehran has also threatened to step up its nuclear programme if it is unable to reap the economic benefits of the 2015 nuclear deal.\n\nThe deal gave Iran relief from sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.\n\nBut US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in May, saying it was not in America's national interest.\n\nSince then, Iran's economy has been hit hard by the re-imposition of US sanctions.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/story-2905188",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-23T22:45:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hankyoreh",
    "slug": "hankyoreh",
    "url": "https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/international/arabafrica/1274260.html"
  },
  "original_language": "ko",
  "account": null,
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}