Iranian government said it will resolutely resist US sanctions and that diplomacy and defense are 'complementary and indivisible'.

NBC on the 28th, citing two people familiar with the matter, reported Defense Secretary Hegseth recently discussed privately the possibility of a 2028 presidential bid. The Pentagon denied the report; a spokesperson said Hegseth will not run for president, his priority is leading the Defense Department, and other speculation is "ridiculous."

An Iranian media analysis says new US sanctions on Iran are part of a broader contest over the future world order, not solely an economic measure. The piece notes the US remains an economic heavyweight with substantial leverage, but the world is no longer unipolar, and a comprehensive economic blockade of Iran faces a fundamental obstacle: turning US pressure into outcomes requires wide international cooperation, which is now harder to secure. It adds that the era of using sanctions as an unconstrained weapon is nearing its end; economic power only works when paired with political legitimacy, international cooperation and recognition by other actors, and the United States is increasingly constrained by that reality.