By Our Correspondent

TEHRAN - Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has issued a stark warning that the United States will face increasingly severe economic repercussions as a direct result of what he called Washington's "war of choice" against Tehran.

In a series of posts on the social media platform X on Saturday, Araghchi dismissed immediate concerns such as rising gasoline prices and stock market volatility, arguing that far more serious economic damage is already taking root within the United States itself.

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Put aside gas price hike and stock market bubble. Real pain begins when U.S. debt and mortgage rates start to jump," Araghchi wrote in English, directly addressing the American public.

The Iranian foreign minister pointed to troubling indicators already emerging inside the US economy, noting that auto loan delinquencies have surged to their highest level in more than three decades—a sign, he argued, of mounting financial distress among ordinary American households.

"This was all avoidable," Araghchi added, reiterating Tehran's position that the current crisis was provoked by Washington and its allies rather than initiated by Iran.

Regional tensions have remained dangerously high since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iranian targets. Tehran responded forcefully with retaliatory strikes against Israel, as well as against US allies in the Gulf region. In a move that sent global energy markets into turmoil, Iran also announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil passes.

The conflict brought the region to the brink of a full-scale war before a ceasefire was brokered on April 8 through intensive diplomatic efforts led by Pakistan. However, subsequent talks held in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement between the warring parties.

In the weeks that followed, US President Donald Trump moved to extend the truce indefinitely, a decision that has been met with skepticism in Tehran, where officials question Washington's long-term commitment to de-escalation.

Araghchi's comments appear calibrated to resonate with American voters and policymakers alike, framing the conflict not as a distant geopolitical struggle but as a direct driver of domestic economic pain in the United States.

While US officials have largely blamed domestic inflation and supply chain disruptions for rising consumer costs, Araghchi's warning suggests that Tehran believes it can weaponize economic channels, whether through energy price shocks, disruption of global shipping, or pressure on US financial markets, to force a change in Washington's calculus.

Iran has previously demonstrated its ability to influence global oil prices through threats to Gulf shipping and strategic installations. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, even temporarily, sent crude prices spiking earlier this year, contributing to higher fuel costs worldwide, including in the United States.

The ongoing standoff continues to strain the Gulf region, where US allies such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have found themselves caught between Washington's security umbrella and Tehran's military reach. Recent Iranian missile and drone attacks on UAE territory have underscored the vulnerability of American partners in the region.

Pakistan, which played a crucial role in brokering the April ceasefire, has continued to shuttle between Tehran and Washington in hopes of reviving stalled negotiations. However, diplomatic sources indicate that significant gaps remain, with Iran demanding a complete withdrawal of US military assets from the region and the United States insisting on verifiable limits to Iran's missile program.