Iran warns US sanctions will deepen tensions as Syria-Israel talks restart

Iran warned that new US sanctions would worsen regional tensions as pressure mounted across the Middle East. The warning came as Syria and Israel reopened contact and a Palestinian American reported ongoing settler threats in the West Bank.Iran on Monday warned that fresh US sanctions would not bring peace to the region, as tensions remained high across the wider Middle East. At the same time, Syrian and Israeli officials met in Jordan after an Israeli strike in Syria last week, while a Palestinian American in the occupied West Bank said he still feared further attacks by Israeli settlers.The developments came amid continued deadlock over the Strait of Hormuz, renewed diplomatic contact between Syria and Israel, and growing concern over violence in the West Bank. The issues reflect the wider instability in the region nearly six months after the war began.Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran would respond strongly to expanded US sanctions, including steps against countries it believes are cooperating with Washington. "Any escalation of this situation will undoubtedly bring about consequences," Baghaei said. "Our hands are not tied."The warning comes after weeks of impasse, with the United States yet to loosen Iran's hold over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian attacks and threats have badly disrupted movement through the waterway, through which a fifth of the world's traded oil had passed before the war began. Iran has continued to demand the reopening of the strait, including the lifting of the US naval blockade, the withdrawal of US forces from the region and reparations for war damage. It has also held separate talks with Oman on jointly managing the waterway, regardless of whether a new agreement is reached with the US. Sanctions have in the past pushed up the prices of basic goods in Iran, though the country has over the years adjusted by finding new trading partners and building domestic industries. Ahead of the expected US announcement, Iran's currency fell to a record low on Monday, with traders bracing for price rises if tighter sanctions further curb exports.In another development, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met a senior Israeli delegation in Jordan over the weekend in talks aimed at easing tensions after Israel struck the Abu Duhur air base in Idlib province last week, Syrian state news agency SANA reported. The US-mediated talks on Sunday focused on restarting negotiations on a future security agreement between the two countries, the agency said. Israel said the strike was meant to stop Turkiye from establishing a presence at the base as it supports the new Syrian government's efforts to rebuild its armed forces after 14 years of civil war. During the talks, Syrian officials said the country had the right to build its army and form alliances with any country. They also called for Israeli forces to withdraw from a buffer zone in southern Syria that they have occupied since December 2024, and repeated Syria's position that the Golan Heights is Syrian territory. Israeli officials had not immediately commented on the meeting as of Monday.In the West Bank, Palestinian American Loui Ridi said he still could not move freely in the village of Qusra after Israeli settlers besieged his family home earlier this month. Ridi had travelled from Ohio to the Israeli-occupied West Bank to join relatives defending the house. Palestinians whose homes were besieged can now move only with prior authorisation from the Israeli military, which declared the area a closed zone and turned a nearby home into a makeshift drone base.Ridi said settlers had returned through the week to the hill above his house, while he and his relatives spent hours coordinating their movements to buy essentials such as food and water. Since settlers surrounded the home more than two weeks ago and stopped those inside from leaving, Israeli soldiers have urged the family to leave, but police have not announced any arrests. The siege and Israel's response have drawn condemnation from Israeli rights groups and foreign officials, including US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who called the violence terrorism.Monday's developments underlined the strain across the region, with Iran threatening consequences over US sanctions, Syria and Israel reopening contact after a fresh strike, and fears of settler violence continuing in the West Bank.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 24, 2026 17:02 IST