The Iranian regime has threatened "unprecedented military action" if the U.S. continues to stage a blockade of its ports, part of a broader strategy to choke its finances.
Citing an unnamed official, Iranian state-run press said its leaders' "patience has limits" and a continued blockade would warrant a "punishing response."
"The official warned that the enemy should soon expect a different kind of response," the report added, without offering any additional details.
President Donald Trump issued a warning of his own on Wednesday, saying Tehran should "better get smart soon" as negotiations between the countries continue to be deadlocked and the Strait of Hormuz closed.
In a social media publication, Trump said "Iran can't get their act together" and authorities "don't know how to sign a nonnuclear deal."
"They better get smart soon! President DJT," he added, posting an image of him holding a rifle and the caption "NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!" against a backdrop of what appear to be military bases enduring explosions.
Moreover, a report by The Wall Street Journal claimed that Trump told officials to prepare for an extended blockade of Iranian ports.
The outlet noted that Trump appears to have decided to continue inflicting economic pain on Tehran to bring the country back to the negotiating table. It went on to detail that Trump has concluded that returning to active combat carries significant risk compared to the current scenario. He won't drop the demand that Tehran suspends uranium enrichment for at least 20 years and accept further restrictions.
Oil kept rising on Wednesday as a result of deadlocked negotiations. Both Brent oil and West Texas Intermediate soared more than 5%. The former got close to $117 at 11:07 a.m. and has now increased over 94% since the beginning of the year. The latter topped $105.
Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif told members of his cabinet that the country continues trying to bridge gaps between the country and mediation efforts "are still ongoing."
"Due to the war, our journey of economic development has come to a halt; petroleum prices are soaring to the skies; mountains of problems stand before us, but we will emerge successfully from this difficult time," Sharif said. "Due to our immense efforts, the ceasefire has been extended, which is still ongoing," he added.
