TEHRAN -- Leaders of Persian Gulf states have told Washington that new U.S. sanctions on Iran are “unrealistic” and difficult to implement due to their geographic proximity and close economic ties with Tehran, according to regional reports, as resistance to the Trump administration’s “economic war” war mounts across West Asia and Asia.
Officials from Persian Gulf states formally conveyed to the U.S. side that the directive issued by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent “was not realistic” and could not be tolerated given their “geographic circumstances, neighboring status and proximity to Iran,” the regional newspaper Rai al-Youm reported, citing Western diplomatic circles.
The report said the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar are unlikely to show the same willingness as European countries to comply with decisions issued by the U.S. Treasury Department. 
Some foreign governments, including Qatar, may not adhere to U.S. threats of economic sanctions, viewing them as unrealistic and evidence of continued escalation in the region, the report added.
Such measures could also undermine efforts to reduce regional tensions, according to the report.
Bessent announced the new campaign last week under what Washington termed “Economic D-Day,” absurdly comparing it to the World War II Normandy landings. 
He claimed the measures target Iran’s financial networks worldwide and warned that no partner is beyond Washington’s reach, adding that the Trump administration has identified entities dealing with Iran and will impose deadlines for them to cut ties or face exclusion from the U.S. dollar system.
The announcement came after the failure of the United States and Israel’s unprovoked aggression against Iran from February 27 to
 April 7, and similar frustration of the U.S.’ subsequent violations of a ceasefire and a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding.
China, Russia and Pakistan have also opposed U.S. threats of sanctions against countries trading with Iran. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said Beijing “will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its own interests” from “illegal unilateral sanctions” and warned of retaliation if such sanctions were imposed.

Former Pakistani Envoy Warns of U.S. Miscalculation
Maleeha Lodhi, a former Pakistani ambassador to the U.S., the UK, and the United Nations, wrote in an article for Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper that Trump’s latest economic pressure campaign “is likely to backfire just like his bombing campaign failed to force Iran to surrender.”
“The U.S. expectation that countries will fall in line assumes they will give preference to ingratiating themselves with Washington over their own economic interests. This will turn out to be another miscalculation,” she wrote.
Lodhi noted that the sanctions were announced as diplomatic contacts were also taking place. Trump had earlier telephoned Pakistan’s chief of defense forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, asking him to persuade Iran to resume negotiations, with Munir subsequently traveling to Tehran for talks with Iranian officials. 
According to officials cited by Lodhi, Pakistan urged Trump to allow time for diplomacy to produce results.
The former envoy pointed to Iran’s outright rebuttal of the latest U.S. pressure campaign, citing Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as dismissing Trump’s threats and saying ironically, “We have seen this movie before.” 
She also referenced Iranian officials’ assertion that the country is “fully prepared” to counter the sanctions as well as their warning of halting all oil flows from the Persian Gulf and delivering an “earthquake-like” retaliation if Washington proceeds with its threats.
Lodhi additionally noted that Washington has not identified potential targets for secondary sanctions or specified penalties or an enforcement timetable, besides failing to take any immediate action against Iran’s largest trading partners.
Abdolamir Rabihavi, director general of the West Asia Office of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization, said Iran’s trading partners have largely disregarded the announcement of new U.S. sanctions and that trade with these countries is continuing.
“One should not be overly influenced by unprofessional remarks by U.S. officials, as many countries need Iranian goods and the country’s products are competitive in target markets in terms of quality and price,” Rabihavi said.
He stressed the need to diversify Iran’s export markets, saying Africa, with around 50 countries and a population of nearly 1.5 billion, represents an important and relatively underdeveloped market for Iranian exports. Central Asian states could also provide suitable markets, he added, particularly given existing capacities and opportunities offered by free-trade agreements.
“The U.S. expectation that countries will fall in line assumes they will give preference to ingratiating themselves with Washington over their own economic interests,” Lodhi wrote. “This will turn out to be another miscalculation.”