Iran to tackle economic issues, says further attacks will be 'more painful'

Iran said it will step up efforts to tackle problems created by the U.S. sanctions that are crippling its economy, while a senior Iranian official warned of a "painful response" if it comes under further attack.

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Sunday that the U.S. should understand that the rules of the game in the war against Iran have changed "before it is too late."

"From now on, any attack against Iran’s interests and security will receive a faster, heavier and more painful response,” he said in a speech published on his Telegram channel.

In his speech on Sunday, Qalibaf added that alongside the military front, Iran’s main battle was now over production and people’s livelihoods.

He cited sharp currency fluctuations, inflation, unemployment and market management as major challenges, adding Iranians could tolerate hardship but not mismanagement or inaction and expected the government to act quickly.

Iran's Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh said that Tehran planned to respond to U.S. economic pressure with reforms and rejected the notion that sanctions would cause it to change course, according to state media on Sunday.

“They speak of economic pressure and isolation, of breaking off financial ties and they think that by pressuring the economy of a country they can change the decisions of its people,” Madanizadeh said.

“I have to clarify one point: the responsibility of reforming Iran’s economy is with its government and people, not with the U.S. Treasury."

Separately, Economy Ministry deputy Morteza Zamanian said on Sunday that the ministry's “Economic War Headquarters” was doubling down on its work to resolve problems caused by the war, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Reuters