Iran’s Ghalibaf Mocks US Sanctions: ‘No Well Exploded’ — Oil Next Stop $140

Reflecto News | Breaking News | US-Iran Conflict

TEHRAN — Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has delivered a scathing public rebuke of U.S. sanctions strategy, mocking the Trump administration’s economic warfare as “junk advice” that has failed to cripple Iran’s oil industry while driving global crude prices above $120 per barrel.

In a characteristically blunt statement, Ghalibaf dismissed U.S. predictions that Iran’s oil infrastructure would collapse under the pressure of sanctions and the naval blockade, daring the United States to extend its campaign even further.

“3 days in, no well exploded. We could extend to 30 and livestream the well here. That was the kind of junk advice the US admin gets from people like Bessent who also push the blockade theory and cranked oil up to $120+. Next stop: 140. The issue isn’t the theory, it’s the mindset.”
— Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament

🛢️ ‘No Well Exploded’: Iran’s Oil Industry Endures

Ghalibaf’s claim that “no well exploded” after three days of intensified U.S. pressure — and that Iran could continue for 30 days or more — challenges the core assumption of the “maximum pressure” campaign: that economic strangulation would force Iran’s oil infrastructure to buckle.

The U.S. naval blockade, imposed on April 13, has cut Iranian oil exports by an estimated 70 percent . However, domestic refining capacity continues to function; Iran has shifted to exporting via land routes (trucks to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkey) and using a “shadow fleet” of older tankers with disabled tracking; and oil storage capacity is being stretched, but production has not collapsed.

Whether Ghalibaf’s claim is entirely accurate (some analysts report that production has been curtailed), his message is clear: the blockade is painful, but it is not fatal.

💰 ‘Cranked Oil Up to $120+ — Next Stop: 140’

Ghalibaf’s reference to $120 oil highlights the unintended consequences of U.S. policy. By shutting off Iranian exports and blocking the Strait of Hormuz (Iran’s retaliation), the U.S. has contributed to the highest crude prices since 2022—which benefits Russia and other oil-exporting competitors.

The “next stop: 140” warning is not just a prediction; it is a threat. Iran’s strategy is to make the cost of the blockade so high for the global economy that the U.S. will be forced to relent—especially with midterm elections approaching and gasoline prices rising at home.

🧠 ‘The Issue Isn’t the Theory, It’s the Mindset’

Ghalibaf singled out U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent by name, accusing him of “junk advice” that reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of Iran’s resilience.

Ghalibaf also invoked the term “mindset,” implying that U.S. policymakers approach Iran as if it were a weak state that would collapse under pressure, ignoring the regime’s capacity to endure hardship and adapt—qualities honed during the Iran-Iraq War and decades of sanctions.

By rejecting the “blockade theory,” Ghalibaf is also signaling that Iran will not capitulate. He is essentially telling the White House: “You are using the wrong mental model. We will not break.”

🔮 What Comes Next

Ghalibaf’s mockery of U.S. sanctions comes as Iran has submitted a new proposal to end the war, which the U.S. rejected . President Trump has demanded that Iran “cry uncle” and surrender its nuclear ambitions unconditionally.

By daring the U.S. to extend the blockade (they could already “extend to 30”), Ghalibaf is testing the administration’s resolve; and by predicting $140 oil, he is amplifying economic pressure on the White House.

The coming weeks will determine whether this is bluff or genuine resilience — but Ghalibaf’s taunt suggests Tehran believes it can outlast Washington in a war of economic attrition.

📋 Key Takeaways for Reflecto News Readers

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