Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif warned Mr Trump that the “entire world would unite” and use “force” the US to scrap fresh sanctions imposed as a result of a spat over a detained American pastor and Turkey’s defiance to buy oil from Iran.
Mr Zarif – in true Trump fashion – took to Twitter to condemn the new sanctions in a chilling threat.
He said: “Trump’s jubilation in inflicting economic hardship on its NATO ally Turkey is shameful.
“The U.S. has to rehabilitate its addiction to sanctions & bullying or entire world will unite – beyond verbal condemnations – to force it to.”
He added: “We’ve stood with neighbours before, and will again now.”
Mr Trump is yet to respond.
Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hami Aksoy said yesterday that the sanctions, which disregard World Trade Organisation rules, “cannot be associated with seriousness expected from a state”.
He added: “All the steps taken against Turkey will be given a befitting response as they have been given before.”
This week tensions between the US and Turkey soared when Mr Trump raised tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminium from 20 percent to 50.
The levy came in the wake of the detention of Andrew Brunson, who has been held on terror charges, as well as Turkey’s continued trading with Iran, nation also sanctioned by Mr Trump in a bid to halt their nuclear weapon programme.
President Trump’s sanctions saw the Turkish lira plummet to a dangerous low yesterday, causing a financial crisis that has also threatened to crash the eurozone.
One US dollar bought 5.57 lira and the currency, which has dropped 30 percent in value since the start of the year, fell a further five percent in one day.
The European Central Bank warned sanctions constituted a “serious risk to the outlook for global trade and activity” as the euro also fell 0.5 percent to trade at $1.14 in the early hours of yesterday morning.
This triggered a domino effect with reports banks in Spain, Italy and France could also be impacted by the drop of the lira.
Sterling also fell to a one-year low, down 0.23 percent at $1.28.