US announces sweeping sanctions and Strait of Hormuz pressure against Iran

The Trump administration is waging an unprecedented campaign to isolate Iran economically, combining a naval blockade with sweeping sanctions as top officials say the pressure will continue until Tehran changes course — or its government does. The post Bessent: U.S. Waging ‘Greatest Economic Isolation Operation in History’ Against Iran — ‘Strangling’ Economy to Force Change appeared first on Breitbart.

The Trump administration is intensifying economic pressure on Iran through sanctions and a blockade, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying Tehran has about 30 million barrels of crude left for potential Chinese buyers. Bloomberg News Middle East Reporter Dan Williams joins Christina Ruffini and Jeff Mason on Bloomberg This Weekend and says the strategy also amounts to a test of endurance, as Washington seeks to outlast Tehran while managing its relationship with China and domestic political pressures. (Source: Bloomberg)

DUBAI — A U.S. campaign to throttle Iran's economy by blockading its oil exports and stopping sanctions evasion is growing increasingly difficult to withstand, three senior Iranian sources said. Washington has in recent weeks sought to ratchet up the economic pressure on Tehran, in an effort to extract concessions in any future negotiation that six months of conflict have so far failed to secure. Although Iran's clerical rulers managed to bypass sanctions for decades, the latest U.S. moves have left them in a far more sensitive position, with few remaining channels to secure foreign currency or buy goods, the sources said. In particular, the effort to stop Iran accessing international financing networks in other countries it has long used to keep its economy functioning poses a real and urgent threat, the sources said. Any sign the economic campaign may break a months-long deadlock in the conflict will likely cheer U.S. planners, though Iran has also warned it could respond to the pressure with military escalation, raising the stakes at a key moment. Petrol stocks low as currency collap

(Widens distribution)By Parisa Hafezi and Angus McDowallDUBAI, Sept 3 (Reuters) - A U.S. campaign to throttle Iran's economy byblockading its oil exports and stopping sanctions evasion is growing increasingly difficult to withstand, three senior Iranian sources said.Washington has in recent weeks sought to ratchet up the economic pressure on Tehran, in an effort to extract concessions in any future negotiation that six months of conflict have so far failed to secure.

DUBAI/ASHEVILLE, North Carolina — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday Washington was likely to announce bank sanctions against Iran this week, stepping up an attempt to "economically asphyxiate" Iran's leadership after six months of conflict. Oil prices rose further after the first exchange of direct attacks since July and reports of two tankers being hit leaving the Strait of Hormuz, the global oil supply waterway that Iran has effectively closed to shipping. Tehran remained defiant, warning that it would prevent oil being exported from the Gulf, despite a threat by U.S. President Donald Trump to hit Iran "hard" in response to the renewed Iranian strikes, and Bessent's warning that Washington was about to impose new sanctions. 'Zero tolerance' "We are probably going to announce a bank sanction this week, and we will announce one the week after. We are speaking to our allies here, who have all come forward, and we have had a great show of support," Bessent said at a G20 finance leaders' meeting in Asheville, North Carolina. He said the U.S. was also looking at targetin

By Parisa Hafezi and David LawderDUBAI/ASHEVILLE, North Carolina, Sept 1 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday Washington was likely to announce bank sanctions against Iran this week, stepping up an attempt to "economically asphyxiate" Iran's leadership after six months of conflict.Oil prices rose further after the first exchange of direct attacks since July and reports of two tankers being hit leaving the Strait of Hormuz, the global oil supply waterway that Iran has effectively closed to shipping.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent vowed 'financial violence' could follow fresh attacks on Iranian rocket launchers in the Strait of Hormuz

Trump’s ‘economic D-Day’ tests Iran’s trading ties across the region Submitted by Zahra Ladha on Tue, 08/25/2026 - 09:48 US sanctions deepen Iran’s economic crisis as Tehran threatens retaliation and regional escalation A drone view shows vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, 15 June 2026 (Reuters) Off The US threat to sever Iran’s economic lifeline with a raft of new sanctions, coupled with Tehran’s warnings of military retaliation and further restrictions on oil exports, has raised the stakes across the region. The new sanctions come a week after a 60-day window to negotiate a US-Iran peace deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz expired. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday unveiled measures intended to isolate Iran's economy, with the US having struggled to solve the conflict with Tehran militarily. However, he held back from imposing the most punitive sanctions, warning that countries that continue to trade with Iran risked being cut off from the dollar-based financial system. Bessent did not outline the penalties or provide a timeline for countries and businesses to comply with these measures. The US Treasury Department sanctioned 60 entities, individuals and vessels and suspended several general licences, including those allowing certain remittance payments to Iran. It is also working with partners to disrupt networks, facilitators and financial channels generating "illicit revenue". Iran, meanwhile, struck a confident tone that its trading partners would resist the US pressure campaign, though it remains to be seen how regional states will respond. China, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey and some Gulf states have over the years maintained some commercial ties with Tehran, despite the US imposing Iran-related sanctions on more than 1,000 people, vessels and aircraft since President Donald Trump began his second term in 2025. According to 2025 data from analytics firm Kpler, China bought more than 80 percent of Iran’s shipped oil. However, the measures introduced on Monday did not target any of the Chinese financial institutions suspected of facilitating Iran’s oil trade. When asked about this, Bessent declined to say whether the US plans to do so. Even as Iranian Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh said that trading partners would resist US pressure and that Iran was "fully prepared" for the punitive measures, Iranians are likely to feel the bite of the sanctions. Iran’s Central Bank governor said last Wednesday that Iranian oil exports had fallen to zero amid the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, worsening the country’s already dire economic crisis. The question now is whether the economic squeeze will force Tehran to compromise or instead push it towards greater confrontation with Washington and its neighbours. Withstanding economic pressure In anticipation of the US announcement, Mohsen Rezaei, the new secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, on Saturday threatened that Tehran could target US "oil and economic companies around Iran and elsewhere" in retaliation. He also warned Gulf neighbours against joining the US "economic war", saying that if they did, "not a single drop of oil will leave the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz". Iran, he added, could also target other oil export routes in the region. War on Iran: What is Tehran's 'shadow fleet' really and how does it work? Read More » While Washington appears to be betting that economic pressure will weaken the Islamic Republic, force it back to the negotiating table and perhaps erode its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran appears prepared to resume direct military confrontation with the US and its Gulf allies rather than concede to such pressure. "This creates a dangerous dynamic in which the US tries to regionalise Iran’s economic isolation while Iran tries to further regionalise the costs of that same isolation," Sina Toossi, a senior fellow at the Centre for International Policy, told MEE. Still, in recent days, Iranian officials have said that military strength alone cannot guarantee the survival of the Islamic Republic. Last week, amid reports that oil exports have come to a halt, Iran’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said: "No matter how much military power we possess, if the people are hungry and we lack financial turnover, economic growth, and national production, we will not survive."  Iran's Energy Optimisation Organisation, a state body, said the country is facing a 15 million-litre gap between petrol supply and daily demand, which totals 135 million litres. "For ordinary Iranians, this is no longer merely a question of declining living standards or rising poverty, but a daily struggle to afford food, medicine, housing and other basic necessities," Mehran Haghirian, executive director of research and programmes at Bourse and Bazaar, a UK-based think tank, told Middle East Eye. For Iran’s new leadership, the challenge is to strike a balance between strategic concessions and sanctions relief that allows the country to pursue its security objectives without further crippling the economy. UAE halts trade with Iran  Just days before the US sanctions, the United Arab Emirates, one of Iran’s largest trading partners and a key re-export hub, announced the suspension of "all activities, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions" with Tehran until further notice. With UAE-Iran bilateral trade estimated at $20bn annually, it is unclear what exactly prompted the move, The Emirati foreign ministry only said it was in response to "regional escalation". 'This creates a dangerous dynamic in which the US tries to regionalise Iran’s economic isolation while Iran tries to regionalise the costs of that isolation' - Sina Toossi, Centre for International Policy A few hours earlier, the Emirati defence ministry had reported that Iran launched two ballistic missiles towards the UAE, an allegation Tehran denied. One day after the UAE announcement, on 18 August, Trump warned of further economic measures against Iran.  The timing may suggest that, while Abu Dhabi is signalling its alignment with Washington, it is also independently distancing itself from Tehran as the US steps up sanctions. The UAE accounts for 30.6 percent of Iranian imports in 2024, according to the World Trade Organization. It was also Iran’s third-largest export market, accounting for 12 percent of Iranian exports, valued at more than $7bn. "It’s hard to know precisely what sparked this decision, although repeated strikes on Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) tankers in the Strait of Hormuz were likely a factor," Justin Alexander, director of Khalij Economics, told MEE. "Abu Dhabi has tried to persuade Iran to behave better through a mixture of carrots and sticks. So, implementation will likely be phased and possibly reversed if Iran permits UAE shipping to flow." Still, the move could signal a more lasting Emirati pivot away from the Islamic Republic. "Whether the UAE wishes to continue such a policy after the war largely depends on the nature of any agreement reached between Iran and the United States," Javad Heiran Nia, director of Persian Gulf Studies at Shahid Beheshti University, told MEE. When the US and Israel first launched their war on Iran in February, the UAE was heavily targeted in retaliation, reporting more than 2,700 Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. And while tensions between Tehran and Abu Dhabi have eased since the April ceasefire, the UAE has continued to strengthen its ties with Israel and the United States. Abu Dhabi’s emerging posture towards Iran may ultimately be shaped not only by how the war ends, but also by the security architecture that takes shape in its aftermath. "The UAE may intend to adopt a highly aggressive approach towards Iran in the future," Heiran Nia said. "In such a scenario, the UAE will try to position itself within a security buffer beyond the reach of Iran and its affiliated armed groups in the region, while quietly advancing its cooperation with Israel regarding Iran," he added. War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

China on Tuesday vowed to safeguard its economic interests after the United States threatened sweeping secondary sanctions against countries continuing to maintain economic ties with Iran under “Operation Economic Outcast”.At a routine press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing “firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions” and would take necessary steps to defend its rights and interests.Lin also stressed that economic cooperation between China and Iran “should not be interfered with or disrupted”. He called on Washington and Tehran to reach a ceasefire, while arguing that sanctions would not bring an end to the conflict.MFA Spokesperson on U.S. “economic D-Day” against #Iran:China is firmly against sanctions that have no basis in international law or UN Security Council mandate. Economic warfare and maximum pressure provide no solution. They only serve to fuel tensions, disrupt global economic… pic.twitter.com/uyHGHpcuya— CHINA MFA Spokesperson 中国外交部发言人 (@MFA_China) August 25, 2026 Donald Trump Warns Iran Of US Response Over Any New Mines In Strait Of HormuzUS Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled the “economic D-day” campaign, aimed at cutting Tehran off from the US dollar-based financial system and further isolating Iran economically. Although Washington has not publicly identified specific countries for potential action, China, the UAE, Turkey, Iraq, the European Union, India, Pakistan and Russia are among Iran’s key trading partners that could face pressure.US Steps Up Pressure To Economically Isolate IranThe Donald Trump administration has outlined a strategy of “economic asphyxiation” aimed at squeezing Iran and cutting its access to international markets. Washington has warned that businesses and other “enablers” continuing to deal with Tehran could also face penalties.Bessent described the expanded sanctions campaign as part of Washington’s intended endgame. The measures could target Iran-linked activity involving digital assets, technology, gold, aviation and shipping.China’s Deep Economic Ties With Iran Face US PressureChina plays a central role in Iran’s economy, accounting for almost a third of Tehran’s non-oil foreign trade. Beijing is also the dominant buyer of Iranian crude, taking nearly 90% of the country’s oil exports, according to US government figures.US-Canada Trade War Erupts: Ottawa Hits $20 Billion Worth Of American Goods With TariffsOfficial Chinese data put bilateral trade with Iran at $9.96 billion in 2025. However, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission estimated that this excluded around $31.2 billion worth of Iranian crude exports to China that were not officially reported.Kpler estimates that Chinese buyers imported an average of 1.38 million barrels of Iranian oil per day in 2025. The firm said independent Chinese refiners commonly purchase Iranian crude in large quantities, with some shipments allegedly relabelled as Malaysian or Indonesian oil and payments routed through intermediaries to avoid the dollar-based financial system.Washington has already targeted such trade. In April, the US Treasury sanctioned a Chinese independent refinery over its purchase of billions of dollars worth of Iranian oil and warned Chinese financial institutions that facilitating Iranian oil transactions could expose them to secondary sanctions.(With Inputs From Agencies)

Long queues formed at petrol stations in Tehran on Tuesday after the United States announced fresh sanctions aimed at pressuring Iran into submission. Washington has turned to pulling economic levers six months into a war on Iran that has ground to a stalemate militarily, with peace talks stalled and most traffic through the crucial Strait of Hormuz blocked. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday laid out plans for the “economic asphyxiation” of Iran, saying the “objective is to sever...

The U.S. launched what the Trump administration calls "Operation Economic Outcast" against Iran. It includes threats to increase sanctions on Iran's trading partners. The pressure comes as the administration indicates it is trying to avoid returning to war, but cannot overcome Iran's stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz. Nick Schifrin discussed more with Miad Maleki.

The US' latest move comes six months into a war with Iran that has left peace talks stalled and the Strait of Hormuz blocked.

Trump unleashes swathe of sanctions on Iran 'enablers' Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Mon, 08/24/2026 - 18:23 The US Treasury Secretary did not name the targets of 'Operation Economic Outcast' or offer a timeline for implementation US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters to outline further sanctions against Iran, at the Treasury Department in Washington, DC on 24 August 2026 (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) Off US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday announced a new wave of sanctions against Iran and its "enablers", towards what he described as an "asphyxiation of this regime" amid the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz. "Iran now faces a very clear choice, with only two paths before them: complete global isolation and a subsistence economy, or a path back to normalcy with an opportunity to rejoin the global economy," Bessent told reporters in Washington, DC.  It remains unclear how "a path to normalcy" may work, given the Trump administration has only ever tightened sanctions on Iran since its first iteration in the White House in 2017.  "Today, we are launching Operation Economic Outcast to foreclose every other option available to the Iranian regime," Bessent declared. "America is no longer managing the Iranian threat. We are ending it."  Using a "zero leakage approach", he said the Treasury had "mapped every node, every facilitator, and every network that Iran has used to smuggle oil and evade sanctions", and that President Donald Trump had already made phone calls to counterparts around the world "with specific requests to cease their interactions with the regime".  He would not name those countries, nor the 60 other entities and individuals that will reportedly see secondary sanctions in the coming days and weeks.  When pressed on why the sanctions were not in place with immediate effect, Bessent replied: "Why would I want to blow up the global financial system?" "Every country has a defined timeline to shut down activities we have identified. If they do not take action, we will do so unilaterally through Treasury authorities," he said. "For example, every branch of Bank Melli must be shuttered and dark." Bank Melli is a major commercial bank in Iran that served as its central bank before the 1979 revolution. It has branches across parts of Europe and the Middle East. Asked about how these sanctions could impact Washington's relationship with China, given Beijing's close partnership with Tehran, Bessent replied: "We find that the best way to engage with countries is through quiet diplomacy, and we are level setting with every country to tell them our expectations." Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to make a state visit to the White House next month, with China the top recipient of Iranian energy exports. Iraq, the UAE, Turkey are also major export destinations, according to SRI International, a California-based research institute.  "It is no longer acceptable to operate in the gray spaces of this conflict," Bessent warned. "Countries cannot claim they are blind to enabling this activity. Iran's enablers purchase [and] transport its petroleum. They facilitate the flow of its finances through exchange houses and free trade zones. They welcome Iran's flights and maintain registries on its behalf. They turn a blind eye to sea-borne fuel transfers and overland transits, they condone illicit use of their banks, all the while concealing the extent of their complicity." Sanctioned parties are mostly blocked from participating in the global financial system, since the international network is largely driven by US banking standards and the US dollar.  Pressure Last week Bessent vowed to impose "the toughest sanctions in history" on Tehran, as the economic toll of the US-Israeli war on Iran - now effectively in its sixth month - weighs down the global economy and significantly raises energy prices for US voters ahead of the November midterm elections.  Trump also warned that he was launching an "economic D-Day" against Iran. US vows to 'collapse' Iran with new sanctions as energy prices spike Read More » "ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences," Trump wrote in a social media message. Washington's threats follow its inability to militarily assert its control over the Strait of Hormuz, with a quasi-ceasefire between the two countries all but collapsed. The war has upended the global shipping trade, with the cost of chartering a tanker skyrocketing. BWET, an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) that allows investors to bet on the shipping rates, has soared 98 percent over the past month. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's parliamentary speaker, said on Thursday that Tehran and Baghdad would not let foreign governments decide their futures, in what appeared to be a response to Washington's sanctions threats. Speaking at an Arbaeen ceremony in the city of Karbala, Iraq, he argued the two countries should build on their security cooperation and "unite to achieve economic prosperity and development". 'Warning shot' The National Iranian American Council (Niac) said on Monday that Iran would now likely escalate its tactics in the region - be it the blockade of the waterway or the attacks on Gulf energy facilities - after repeatedly stating it will "not tolerate economic warfare". "We've been down the maximum pressure road with Iran many times," Niac said in a statement. US ambassador to Turkey breaks with Washington on Israel's occupation of Syria's Golan Heights Read More » "What we've learned is that President Trump can impose extensive economic pain on Iran, but ordinary Iranians overwhelmingly bear the cost. The ruling elite in Iran remains largely insulated, while Tehran has repeatedly refused to capitulate to Washington's demands," said Ryan Costello, the group's policy director. "Trump's gamble is that this time, amid the destruction of war, and with the reinforcement of a blockade, time is on his side and ultimately Iran will be forced to concede defeat." Richard Nephew, a former national security official in the Biden administration and an architect of previous Iran sanctions, suggested Bessent's comments were mostly bluster. "So, they took the weekend and looked at what they were going to do and thought 'hmmmmm' and are now turning this into less a 'D Day' than a 'don't make me count to 3'," he posted on X on Monday. Gregory Brew, a senior analyst with the Eurasia Group, referred in a post on X to a "warning shot", adding the US was "trying to ratchet up pressure, without triggering significant Iranian action or angering Iran's trading partners (most notably China)".  War on Iran Washington News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

US announces 'unprecedented' sanctions against Iran US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent laid out what he described as an "unprecedented" US sanctions campaign against Iran on Monday, warning that every country has a "finite timeline" to shut down activities identified by Washington or face action from the Treasury. The new Iran sanctions will include those on tech, gold, aviation, shipping and covers nearly 60 entities, individuals and vessels. Bessent said President Donald Trump was making phone calls to world leaders with specific requests to cease their interactions with Iran. "Any entity that facilitates money laundering on behalf of Iran will be removed from the US dollar system. The clock just started ticking," Bessent told reporters at a press conference. "Around the globe, our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone," Bessent said, claiming that economic engagement of any kind with Iran "will expose those responsible to the full reach of American power". Besset also hinted that "you will see a major financial institution being sanctioned by the end of this week over Iran", without elaborating. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a press conference in Washington, DC on 24 August 2026 (Kent Nishimura/AFP)

Iran has strongly criticised Washington’s plan to impose tougher sanctions, describing the move as an attempt to control the economic decisions of independent countries.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the proposed sanctions went beyond economic warfare against Tehran. He called them an assertion of “extraterritorial sovereignty” over independent United Nations member states.US Plans Wider Economic IsolationUS Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration intended to severely weaken Iran’s economy, potentially reducing the need for major American military operations.Bessent promised the “greatest coordinated economic isolation” ever imposed on a country. He said details of the plan would be announced at a news conference on Monday.The US is also expected to pressure its allies to support the campaign. Vice-President JD Vance described economic pressure as Washington’s most effective tool against Tehran.President Donald Trump earlier threatened heavy financial penalties against countries helping Iran avoid sanctions. He described the planned action as economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale.Iran Seeks Support Against SanctionsIranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf urged Muslim countries to develop a joint plan to overcome what he called cruel sanctions. 'Iran Faces 'Many Problems' As US Tightens Sanctions,' Says President Masoud Pezeshkian Questions remain over whether additional penalties can change Tehran’s position. Iran is already among the world’s most heavily sanctioned countries, while China and Russia remain important partners.Hormuz Traffic Remains LowMilitary attacks have slowed in recent days, but shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains far below levels recorded before the US launched its war against Iran on February 28.Talks aimed at reopening the vital shipping route have stalled. Kpler data showed only 10 crossings on Monday and two on Sunday.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran wanted the war to end sooner rather than later. He described a June 17 memorandum with Washington as a victory for Iran. 'No Oil Will Leave Hormuz': Iran Warns Nations Joining US Economic SiegeThe agreement allowed Tehran to negotiate the administration of the Strait of Hormuz with Oman and other Gulf countries.Brent crude settled at USD 94.39 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate closed at USD 87.06. Both benchmarks ended the week higher as markets assessed sanctions and supply risks.

Tehran: Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei on Monday warned that Tehran could halt all oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf if the United States' "economic war" against Iran continues.Also Watch: Rezaei, in a post on X, also warned that Iran would consider any country supporting or participating in the US economic campaign against Tehran to be an "act of war."If the economic war continues, not a single drop of oil will be exported٫ neither through the Strait of Hormuz nor from anywhere in the Persian Gulf. Iran will regard any country’s participation in or support for America’s economic war against the Iranian people as an act of war.— محسن رضایی (@ir_rezaee) August 23, 2026 "If the economic war continues, not a single drop of oil will be exported. neither through the Strait of Hormuz nor from anywhere in the Persian Gulf. Iran will regard any country's participation in or support for America's economic war against the Iranian people as an act of war," Rezaei said.The warning comes amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over US plans for tougher economic measures against Iran.Earlier on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf ridiculed the United States following the fresh economic sanctions threat by President Donald Trump, using satirical commentary to argue that heavy-handed economic restrictions ultimately backfire.In a post on X, Ghalibaf commented on the limitations of trying to manage deep-seated financial strain through short-term state interventions and shared a sarcastic take on how economic pressures play out.Importing frozen meat to fix meat prices. Okay, that might work. What’s the plan for bonds, import frozen yields? Frozen homebuyers for housing? Frozen paychecks for wages? A frozen foreign policy delivers a frozen economy.The only thing still moving? The Iran boomerang. pic.twitter.com/57punhFspI— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) August 23, 2026 "Importing frozen meat to fix meat prices. Okay, that might work. What's the plan for bonds, import frozen yields? Frozen homebuyers for housing? Frozen paychecks for wages? A frozen foreign policy delivers a frozen economy. The only thing still moving? The Iran boomerang," he said.Accompanying the post, Ghalibaf shared a satirical four-panel comic strip illustrating the concept of the "Iran boomerang."The meme depicts a character throwing a giant boomerang labelled "the most crushing economic operation ever," only for the weapon to loop back and strike the thrower directly in the face, mocking the perceived backfiring effects of US' pressure sanctions.Additionally, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Spokesperson Sardar Mohebi asserted that Washington's heavy reliance on economic warfare is a tacit confession of the US' "humiliating defeat" on the military front.US 'Economic D-Day' Begins As Trump Administration Enters 'Endgame' Against Iran, Vows To Sever Tehran's Financial Lifelines | Video Addressing recent statements from Trump regarding aggressive economic pressure, Mohebi, according to IRIB, said that such measures are nothing new, noting that Tehran has faced restrictions targeting its core sectors for decades."The US President says that he has ordered economic warfare and has launched the most severe economic war against Iran. This is a tacit admission of the enemy's humiliating defeat in the military arena," he said.Mohebi further assured that economic interference can be successfully managed to neutralise adverse effects, allowing the nation to establish economic relations smoothly without domestic concern.Meanwhile, according to Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei also slammed US' sanctions threat and said that war and sanctions are "not unfamiliar" to Iran.He noted that the Islamic Republic has been under sanctions for 20 years.(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Washington DC: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday (local time) said that the Trump administration is entering the "endgame" in its campaign against Iran, announcing what he called an "economic D-Day" aimed at severing Iran's economic lifelines.Read my full thoughts in the @FT: https://t.co/0Vi0O3aPsP— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) August 23, 2026 In a post on X, Bessent said, "President Trump has dismantled Iran's military capabilities, destroyed nearly 100 percent of its military factories, and buried its nuclear program.""We are now entering the endgame. At dawn begins an economic D-Day -- the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary," he said.Bessent accused Iran of using security guarantees as a form of "extortion" and said Tehran had relied on the expectation that Iranian retaliation was certain while US enforcement could be negotiated."The Islamic Republic has subsisted by dressing extortion as security guarantees. It has drawn strength from a calculus that regards Iranian retaliation as certain and American enforcement as negotiable," Bessent said.Also Watch: "Under President Trump, that era is over. And those who fear the danger of defying Tehran ought not to discount the cost of testing Washington," he added.Bessent said Trump had created the conditions for the US government to deploy its full range of authorities against Iran.Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir To Visit Tehran On Monday Amid Iran-US Tensions "The President has created the conditions to leverage every agency, every authority and action many assumed we would never summon," he said."Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains the tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone," Bessent added.Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei on Monday warned that Tehran could halt all oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf if the United States' "economic war" against Iran continues.Rezaei, in a post on X, also warned that Iran would consider any country supporting or participating in the US economic campaign against Tehran to be an "act of war."If the economic war continues, not a single drop of oil will be exported٫ neither through the Strait of Hormuz nor from anywhere in the Persian Gulf. Iran will regard any country’s participation in or support for America’s economic war against the Iranian people as an act of war.— محسن رضایی (@ir_rezaee) August 23, 2026 "If the economic war continues, not a single drop of oil will be exported. neither through the Strait of Hormuz nor from anywhere in the Persian Gulf. Iran will regard any country's participation in or support for America's economic war against the Iranian people as an act of war," Rezaei said.The warning comes amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over US plans for tougher economic measures against Iran.Earlier on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf ridiculed the United States following the fresh economic sanctions threat by President Donald Trump, using satirical commentary to argue that heavy-handed economic restrictions ultimately backfire.In a post on X, Ghalibaf commented on the limitations of trying to manage deep-seated financial strain through short-term state interventions and shared a sarcastic take on how economic pressures play out.Importing frozen meat to fix meat prices. Okay, that might work. What’s the plan for bonds, import frozen yields? Frozen homebuyers for housing? Frozen paychecks for wages? A frozen foreign policy delivers a frozen economy.The only thing still moving? The Iran boomerang. pic.twitter.com/57punhFspI— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) August 23, 2026 "Importing frozen meat to fix meat prices. Okay, that might work. What's the plan for bonds, import frozen yields? Frozen homebuyers for housing? Frozen paychecks for wages? A frozen foreign policy delivers a frozen economy. The only thing still moving? The Iran boomerang," he said.Meanwhile, according to Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei also slammed US' sanctions threat and said that war and sanctions are "not unfamiliar" to Iran.He noted that the Islamic Republic has been under sanctions for 20 years.Iran's rebuttal came after Trump on Wednesday announced what he called an "Economic D-Day" campaign against Iran, describing it as the "most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country."Trump said the campaign would amount to "Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale" and called on US allies to join Washington in isolating Iran.pic.twitter.com/OJefIlVZ0I— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 19, 2026 Trump also said Washington had "very draconian sanctions" available against Iran and indicated that additional measures could be announced."We have things that we could sanction. We have very draconian sanctions, and we'll see what happens," Trump said while addressing technology leaders.BREAKING: TRUMP THREATENS IRAN WITH SANCTIONS:“We have things that we could sanction on Iran. We have very draconian sanctions, and we’ll see what happens.” pic.twitter.com/2MndbFex8l— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) August 19, 2026 He said Washington would determine its next course of action based on developments, adding that the situation could either result in a significant fall in oil prices or lead to a continuation of the existing measures.On Thursday (local time), US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also warned Iran of the "toughest sanctions in history", saying Washington will pursue coordinated economic isolation against Tehran and seek to "collapse this regime", Al Jazeera reported.He urged US allies to join Washington in isolating Tehran, claiming that the measures would weaken Iran's ability to project influence globally.Bessent added that a media conference on Monday, i.e August 24, would reveal "exactly what we're going to do" against Iran.(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday is expected to announce the new measures after the U.S. vowed to impose an “unprecedented” level of economic warfare and isolation.

Tensions between Iran and the United States continue to escalate. Tehran is threatening to regard as enemies any countries that join the US sanctions, in response to Washington’s calls to isolate its economy. A press conference is scheduled for Monday to outline the US strategy. Story by Camille Corcoran.

With sparse details, President Donald Trump announced this week that the US would be imposing an “unprecedented” level of economic warfare and isolation on Iran.

Tehran, August 21, 2026: Iran on Friday warned that any fresh US threats would draw a “devastating” response after Washington said it planned to impose what it described as the toughest financial penalties in history in an effort to topple the Iranian leadership.US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said details of the planned sanctions would be announced on Monday. The move follows President Donald Trump's warning of economic consequences for any country providing “any type of lifeline to Iran.”The Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, Major General Ali Abdollahi, said Tehran's response would be broad and decisive."With preparedness across land, sea, air, air defence and cyberspace, Iran's armed forces will respond to the enemy's new threats with crushing, punishing and devastating responses," Abdollahi was quoted as saying by Iranian media.Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the country's main negotiator in mediated talks with the US, said Washington appeared to have concluded that it could not prevail through direct military confrontation."We must make plans to deal with the unjust sanctions so that we can overcome them," Qalibaf said in Iraq, accusing the US and Israel of resorting to economic and “cognitive” warfare.Oil Markets React As Hormuz Traffic SlumpsOil prices steadied on Friday but remained on course for a second consecutive weekly rise amid concerns over energy exports from the Gulf. Prices had reached a more than three-week high on Thursday following the US sanctions threat.Bessent played down concerns that the measures would drive oil prices higher."I'm not sure why oil has popped up on this," Bessent told CNBC. "If we are doing the maximum economic pressure, then that means that likely there will not be a large-scale kinetic restart," he said, referring to the possible use of military force.Only seven commodity ships sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, half the previous day's number, according to data from shiptracker Kpler. More than 130 ships a day used the route before the war.Thousands of people have been killed in the nearly six-month-old conflict, which has drawn in Gulf countries and pushed up global fuel prices as Iran targeted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Before February, the waterway carried about a fifth of all traded oil.The US and Iran announced ceasefire agreements in April and June in attempts to restore the free flow of shipping through Hormuz and move towards ending the conflict, but both deals quickly collapsed.Iran's Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, said US sanctions would not "create even the slightest hesitation in Iranians’ determination to safeguard Iran’s independence, dignity and national sovereignty."US Says Sanctions And Blockade Aim To Pressure TehranBessent said he would provide full details of Washington's strategy at a press conference on Monday."We are going to collapse this regime. It is time for our allies and the rest of the world to make a decision," he said, describing a naval blockade reimposed on Iran in July and the "toughest sanctions in history" as a "one-two punch".Iran has faced extensive economic sanctions for nearly 50 years since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Its population is also grappling with high inflation, a weakening currency, energy shortages and damaged infrastructure.Some Iranians interviewed by Reuters said additional economic pressure could deepen hardship, weaken the clerical establishment and trigger unrest. However, there has been no sign of renewed unrest since a deadly crackdown on protests in January.Trump is also facing pressure to end the war as high fuel prices weigh on his approval ratings and could affect the Republican Party's control of Congress in the November midterm elections.China Trade Emerges As Key Test Of US PressureOffers of Iranian crude to Chinese buyers have already declined since the US reimposed its blockade on Iranian ports in mid-July, according to trade sources cited by Reuters.China buys more than 80% of Iran's shipped oil, according to 2025 data from analytics firm Kpler. However, stronger US economic pressure on Beijing carries the risk of retaliation.Asked whether Washington could target China for continuing to do business with Iran, Bessent said some discussions were better conducted privately."Keep in mind that the Chinese get 50% (of their) energy... from the Gulf. So it would do them a big service to get with the program," he said.Also Watch: Donald Trump Announces 'Most Crushing' Economic Campaign Against Iran, Warns Countries Against Doing BusinessChina's embassy in Washington said "sanctions and pressure do not help resolve the problem", and called for diplomatic means.Further sanctions also carry risks for US allies in the Gulf, where energy facilities and desalination plants that supply drinking water have come under Iranian attack.To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

Aug 20 (Reuters) - The United States will impose "the toughest sanctions in history" on Iran,U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday as he urged Beijing to cooperate with Washington.Bessent said he would hold a press conference on Monday to discuss details."It is a one-two punch. We have the blockade (on Iran), and we are going to have the toughest sanctions in history," Bessent told CNBC. "It is going to work in Iran and we are going to collapse this regime.""It is time for our allies and the rest of the world to make a decision," he said.

DUBAI — Even as Iran projects resilience in the war with the United States, its leaders are worried that a threat of more economic punishment by Donald Trump could increase hardships, reignite unrest and further erode the Islamic Republic’s legitimacy. The U.S. president vowed on Friday to hit Iran hard economically, a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would impose measures on Tehran that have "never been seen" as early as next week. Washington has not said what those measures will entail. For all the bravado of Iran's leaders after holding out in nearly six months of conflict and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil supply route, they face mounting pressure at home that could result in nationwide unrest, according to three Iranian officials. The officials, two political insiders, a former Iranian official and a dozen ordinary Iranians spoke to Reuters for this story on condition of anonymity, either for fear of retribution or because they are not authorised to speak to media. Iran entered the war with high inflation, a weakening curre

By Parisa HafeziDUBAI, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Even as Iran projects resilience in the war with the United States, its leaders are worried that a threat of more economic punishment by Donald Trump could increase hardships, reignite unrest and further erode the Islamic Republic’s legitimacy.The U.S. president vowed on Friday to hit Iran hard economically, a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would impose measures on Tehran that have "never been seen" as early as next week. Washington has not said what those measures will entail.

By Andrea ShalalWASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday vowed to hit Iran hard economically, a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Washington would impose measures on Tehran that have "never been seen" as soon as next week.The United States, ‌United Nations and European Union have applied sanctions, implemented trade embargoes and frozen assets since the late 1970s over Iran's nuclear program, human rights violations and support for militant groups.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the US will hit Iran next week with unprecedented economic sanctions and a continued naval blockade.

Bessent: US Readies Economic Isolation Of Iran "Like The World Has Never Seen Before" Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Newsmax Thursday night that the Trump administration will announce unprecedented economic measures against Iran next week, signaling that a sharp escalation in economic warfare is just ahead as negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remain stalled. The warning comes as Tehran-linked Houthi rebel forces resume attacks on Saudi Aramco energy infrastructure, raising concerns that the conflict is spreading geographically and pushing Brent crude futures higher. Bessent told Rob Schmitt of Newsmax: And, you know, at the president's orders, we have raised the level even again, and watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country. And I think the reason we are succeeding is because it is a one-two punch. People say, well, you know, Cuba lasted a long time. Venezuela lasted a long time. Venezuela immediately crumbled when we put the blockade on. So, it will be a combination of economic isolation like the world has never seen before and the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that will keep anything from going in or out of the Iranian ports. Watch Bessent US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced upcoming unprecedented economic measures against Iran amid ongoing blockades of its ports pic.twitter.com/OV3etgd2k0 — Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) August 14, 2026 By the midpoint of this week, we explained that, with US-Iran talks stalled, President Trump was more than likely to "opt for economic siege warfare, as the US military campaign is on hold." Trump recently told Axios that he is "low-keying it" with Iran. "We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money," he said. Washington has imposed roughly 2,200 sanctions-related designations on Tehran since 2018, according to Jeremy Paner, a partner at Hughes Hubbard & Reed who tracks Iran's energy industry. The scale of the existing sanctions architecture underscores the challenge facing the Trump administration as it seeks to exert additional leverage on Tehran. "If 47 years of sanctions haven't broken Tehran's will, more of the same is unlikely to produce any changes," according to a Bloomberg Economics report led by Jennifer Welch. She noted that the most likely scenario is that Trump stays on the same path as before, maintaining sanctions and the blockade. The Trump administration's accelerated pivot toward economic warfare, rather than renewed strikes on Iran's missile and drone capabilities along the Hormuz chokepoint or an operation against Kharg Island, likely reflects growing concern over the "perfect storm" developing in refined-products markets. With the global diesel crisis intensifying and crack spreads approaching $100 level, further strikes risk triggering a severe supply shock to the fuel that powers global industries. It would also be a political disaster if gasoline and diesel prices at US pumps soared even higher with just 81 days left until the midterm elections (read diesel crisis report).  Tyler Durden Fri, 08/14/2026 - 09:00

WASHINGTON — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened Thursday to subject Iran to economic isolation "like the world has never seen before," adding that new measures are expected next week. "It will be a combination of economic isolation, like the world has never seen before," Bessent told conservative television network Newsmax, adding that "the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz ... will keep anything from going in or out of the Iranian ports." "Watch this space for more announcements coming next week," he said. Bessent described a two-pronged approach featuring financial pressure and a physical blockade of the ports. Vice President JD Vance said earlier that the top U.S. priority in the Iran war was bringing oil and gasoline prices down for Americans, with preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon now ranking second. The tougher stance contrasts with remarks by Bessent on Aug. 4, when he told CNBC that an agreement with Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be reached within days. Those comments sent Wall Street higher and oil prices lower.

"It will be a combination of economic isolation like the world has never seen before, and the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that will keep anything from going in or out," Bessent said.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened Thursday to subject Iran to economic isolation "like the world has never seen before", adding that new measures are expected next week. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

US treasury secretary Scott Bessent described a two-pronged approach involving financial pressure and a physical blockade of Iranian ports.

Bessent says US set to apply measures never seen on Iran US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Washington is going to apply measures that have "never been seen" on Iran. "Watch this ⁠space for more announcements ​coming next week because we ​are going to apply measures like have never been seen in ​the history of economic ​isolation on a country," Bessent said during an ⁠interview on Newsmax's Rob Schmitt Tonight programme. "It will be a combination of economic ​isolation like ​the ⁠world has never seen before, and the ​continued blockade in the ​Strait ⁠of Hormuz that will keep anything from going in ⁠or ​out of ​the Iranian ports," he added.