US economic pressure — Iran has issued a stark warning to the international community, declaring that any country participating in or supporting the United States’ economic pressure campaign against Iran will be treated as committing an ‘act of war.’ The statement was delivered by a senior Iranian security official, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

This escalation comes as Washington continues to enforce a range of economic sanctions targeting Iran’s economy, which US officials say are aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear and regional activities. The Iranian official did not specify which countries might be targeted, but the warning appears aimed at both traditional US allies and other states considering cooperation with American sanctions.

The official described the economic measures as a direct attack on the Iranian people, framing any foreign support for these policies as hostile action. This rhetoric signals a potential shift in Iran’s response to international enforcement of US-led sanctions, raising concerns about the risk of broader confrontation in the Middle East and beyond.

For countries in the Balkans and elsewhere that maintain economic or diplomatic ties with both Washington and Tehran, the warning introduces a new layer of complexity. Serbia and other regional states have historically balanced relations with major powers, and could face difficult choices if pressured to align with US or Iranian positions.

Iran’s declaration underscores the ongoing volatility in US-Iran relations and the potential for economic disputes to escalate into wider conflict. Observers are watching closely to see how other governments respond to Tehran’s threat, and whether this marks a turning point in the standoff over sanctions.