IRGC Says US Blockade on Iran Could Backfire Economically
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Sunday that the US economic and maritime blockade against Tehran could ultimately inflict greater costs on Washington than on Iran itself.
“If the US wants to inflict one dollar of economic damage on Iran, it may face several dollars in costs and losses itself,” IRGC spokesman Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohibi told Iranian media.
Mohibi insisted Iran would not bow to sanctions or outside pressure, arguing that US President Donald Trump had gambled on American military might – its naval fleet and aircraft carriers – to force Tehran into retreat, a calculation he said recent events have exposed as flawed.
He contended that the US, already burdened by heavy debt and locked in economic competition with China and other nations, would struggle to come out ahead in what he characterized as an economic war against Iran. He also claimed regional developments have strained US strategic reserves and disrupted access to certain raw materials, pointing specifically to interruptions in regional aluminum production and exports.
The comments come as Washington ramps up economic pressure alongside its military campaign. US Central Command said it destroyed three IRGC-linked oil tankers after Iranian attacks on US vessels, with CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper warning: “If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours.” The tankers are part of what CENTCOM described as a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US is pursuing a policy of zero tolerance and will “economically asphyxiate” the regime, tracking IRGC offshore assets held by trust companies and luxury real estate. Treasury is expected to unveil weekly secondary sanctions focused on banks, oil, shipping, aviation and technology sectors.
The conflict traces back to February, when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, triggering retaliatory attacks and disrupting maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil chokepoint. Iran says the war has caused $270 billion in damage. Iranian trade officials warn the ongoing blockade of Hormuz could cost Tehran around $18 billion annually in lost oil revenues, draining foreign currency and forcing money printing that risks higher inflation.
While Washington insists the blockade is working to economically strangle Iran while keeping military options alive, the IRGC argues the strategy will backfire, saddle the enforcing country with steep costs, and fail to guarantee victory. #IRGC Says US Blockade on Iran Could Backfire Economically# IRGC Claims Strikes on U.S. Targets in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait in Retaliation
