'Iran will never have a nuclear weapon': Trump launches most severe economic campaign against Tehran

Donald Trump has issued one of his most expansive economic warnings yet, threatening severe consequences not just for Iran, but for any country that helps it survive.

In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, the US President said Washington was preparing what he described as the most sweeping economic campaign ever imposed on a country, and put other nations on notice that supporting Tehran in any form would carry a heavy price. "ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences," Trump said.

He did not name specific countries or detail exactly what penalties would be imposed, but left no ambiguity about the scope of what Washington is planning.

What the campaign targets

Trump's warning covered a broad range of activities that have historically been used to help sanctioned countries stay afloat economically. He specifically called out oil smuggling, financial swap arrangements, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries and the use of front companies, all methods Iran has used in the past to circumvent existing restrictions.

The message was directed at allies as much as at Iran itself, with Trump urging countries to actively join Washington in severing Tehran's connections to international financial and commercial systems.

Trump's case against Iran

The announcement came with a pointed message about the diplomatic path not taken. "No one has given the Islamic Republic of Iran a greater opportunity to make a Deal than me," Trump said, adding that Tehran had "failed to take it."

He described the forthcoming measures as "economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale" and argued that Iran's military had already been critically weakened, claiming its navy had been destroyed, its air force crippled and its military manufacturing reduced to rubble. He said Iran's economy was already under significant strain, and that the new measures would further restrict the country's ability to function internationally.

"These HISTORIC MEASURES will cripple them and their ability to project terror worldwide," Trump said.

He closed with a declaration that has been central to his stated rationale for the entire conflict: "IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON."