Trump announces intensified sanctions campaign against Iran
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President Trump said the United States will launch an unprecedented economic offensive targeting Iran, while Treasury officials warned of secondary sanctions on firms that continue business with Tehran.
President Donald Trump announced that the United States will impose an "unprecedented" level of economic warfare on Iran, aiming to compel the regime to abandon its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that the administration may extend secondary sanctions to any nation or company that persists in dealing with Iran, saying, "If you insist on doing business with them, then the U.S. Treasury and U.S. government will put its full might and force against you. It's time for our allies and the rest of the world to make a decision."
The plan, dubbed "Operation Economic Fury," builds on earlier sanctions that already cover most of Iran's energy, financial and transportation sectors. Analysts noted that the new phase could target countries such as China and India, which are major purchasers of Iranian oil, as well as regional partners like the United Arab Emirates, which recently suspended trade with Tehran.
Experts expressed mixed views on the strategy. Richard Goldberg, a former sanctions coordinator now at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the combined pressure of recent strikes and blockades creates a "perfect storm" that could force Tehran to capitulate, but cautioned that the United States is entering "uncharted waters." Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran program at the same think tank, warned that the approach will require heightened diplomatic focus on secondary sanctions with European and Asian partners.
Iran rejected the move, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei posting on X that the United States' reliance on sanctions has repeatedly failed, and International Crisis Group analyst Ali Vaez argued that heightened pressure without a clear diplomatic path only hardens Iran's stance.
The announcement comes as the war in Ukraine approaches its six-month anniversary and U.S. political calculations intensify ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.