The U.S. State Department's spokesperson, Morgan Ortagus, remarked that Iranian Foreign Minister Javad "Zarif threatened the U.S. that it cannot expect to stay safe because of our maximum pressure campaign. Making threats, using nuclear blackmail and terrorising other nations is typical behaviour for the revolutionary regime in Tehran. Tomorrow they will probably threaten once again to close the Strait of Hormuz. We aren't impressed". "Iran faces a simple choice", she continued. "It can either behave like a normal nation or watch its economy crumble". Ortagus also referred to the INSTEX mechanism, stating that "any payment system in which there are goods or services or whatever the commodity might be that is not sanctions by the U.S. government is fine, but we would not support any payment mechanism from any country in the world that would allow businesses or entities or countries to engage in transactions with Iran that are sanctioned entities".