Iran mocks US ‘addiction’ to sanctions, Hormuz stalemate continues

The Story in Brief

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei mocked the US Treasury Secretary’s claim that sanctions are 'suffocating' Tehran, calling America's reliance on economic pressure a 'compulsive addiction' that has replaced real policy. In a post on X, Baqaei said Washington retreats into sanctions whenever diplomacy fails and then increases the dose when they do not work. He warned that US politicians risk 'strangling their own remaining chances of a less humiliating exit from a crisis of their own making.'

The exchange comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Tehran demands an end to the blockade, lifted sanctions, release of frozen assets, and compensation for war damage. President Trump has rejected those demands and instead instructed US representatives to seek compensation from Iran for Americans killed or wounded by Iranian-backed groups. The Times of India and Times Now report that the standoff shows no sign of resolution.