Iran's Rezaei Says US Will Fail in Economic War as It Did Militarily

Major General Mohsen Rezaei said in a post on his X account on Tuesday that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has failed in his efforts to portray Washington's economic blockade on Iran as a success. Rezaei referred to a recent article from the economic news website Bloomberg, which criticized Bessent for attempting to downplay the impacts of US aggression on Iran on the US economy, especially rising fuel prices. "Bessent's delusional forecasts never had any credibility in the first place. His latest propaganda will have an equally short shelf life," Rezaei said in the post.

According to Press TV, Bessent has made numerous statements to the media in recent weeks suggesting that the US maritime blockade on Iran has worked successfully by severely damaging the country's economy. He has said repeatedly that the blockade will finally force Iran to come to terms with the US and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway in the Persian Gulf responsible for a fifth of global oil demand, which came under Iranian restrictions in the early days of the US-Israeli aggression in March.

Rezaei dismissed Bessent's claims and reiterated Iran's position that the Strait of Hormuz will only be reopened when the US accepts Tehran's conditions for permanently ending the war and lifting its sanctions and blockades on the country. "You lost the military war. You will fail in the economic war, too. Hormuz will not be opened by threats or pressure. Iran will not back down," he said.

The remarks come amid heightened tensions in the region, with the US having imposed a maritime blockade on Iran and Iran restricting access to the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, and its closure or restriction has significant implications for international energy markets. Bessent's statements have focused on the economic pressure on Iran, while critics, including Rezaei, argue that the blockade has not achieved its intended goals and has instead contributed to rising fuel prices in the US.

Rezaei's comments reflect Iran's official stance that it will not yield to external pressure and that any resolution must address its demands, including the permanent end of the war and the lifting of sanctions. The exchange highlights the ongoing economic and diplomatic confrontation between the two countries, with both sides trading accusations over the effectiveness of their respective strategies. According to Mehr News, the report by Press TV added that Bessent's claims about the blockade's success have been met with skepticism, and Rezaei's post underscores Iran's determination to resist US economic measures.