Trump claims Iran faces severe economic pressure as six-month operation continues
President Trump said Iran is under deep trouble after six months of the U.S. Treasury’s Operation Economic Outcast, which targets revenue sources linked to the IRGC and imposes secondary sanctions.
President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that Iran is "not paying their troops" and is "in deep trouble" following the launch of the U.S. Treasury Department's Operation Economic Outcast against Tehran. He added that the Strait of Hormuz remains open under U.S. control and that the blockade prevents any Iranian shipments from passing.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the strategy as an "Economic D-Day" aimed at tightening the noose around revenue streams that fund the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian regime. The administration plans to impose secondary sanctions to compel other nations to cut ties with Tehran and has blacklisted nearly 60 individuals, companies and vessels involved in illicit trade.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded to a Trump-posted image labeling the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. territory, criticizing the claim and describing it as a distortion of reality.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, dismissed reports of a plot to assassinate Trump’s son Barron as false, noting that a video aired by Iranian state television alleged a bounty on the teenager. The U.S. Secret Service confirmed it is aware of the video and is investigating any potential threats.