The US has spent 20 years promising 'crippling sanctions' on Iran. But the latest effort comes with a reverse twist, after military action failed to accomplish President Trump's goals
US Treasury Secy Scott Bessent unveiled measures but stopped short of the most punishing sanctions, saying countries that continued trading with Iran risked being forced out of dollar system
But that's only if Bessent actually follows through on a threat the Trump administration has made before
The statement marked the latest bid to force capitulation from Iran, which has refused to bow to US demands despite months of US bombing that began in February as well as decades of economic sanctions
President Trump's threats of an 'economic D-Day' carry a clear signal to Iran that he does not want to go back to war
Bessent's comments followed President Trump's threat a day earlier of 'economic warfare' and warning of economic consequences against any country that provided 'any type of lifeline to Iran'
Sellers including middlemen and representatives from the National Iranian Oil Co. made contact with refiners in India, Japan, South Korea and elsewhere even before the license was officially granted
At least 11 tankers carrying a combined 20 million barrels were detected leaving the Iranian port of Chabahar in recent days, Bloomberg shipping data show
Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran were in their 'final throes', even as differences with Netanyahu surfaced over Israel's military actions in Lebanon
An imploding economy is causing hopelessness among both pro- and anti-government Iranians. And for those who wished for regime change, the letdown is palpable
Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz is throttling the world's energy supplies and inflicting global economic pain, but the struggles of the Islamic Republic's own economy are testing its ability to withstand the war and defy Washington's demands. Iranians have been hit by spiralling prices for food, medicine and other goods. At the same time, the country has seen mass job losses and business closures caused by strike damage to key industries and the government's monthslong shutdown of the internet. The economic cost of the war and the US naval blockade "has been very substantial and unprecedented for Iran," said Hadi Kahalzadeh, an Iranian economist and research fellow at Brandeis University. But Iran has withstood decades of economic pressure and sanctions, and its capacity to adapt has not been dismantled, Kahalzadeh said. "Iran can probably avoid a complete economic collapse or total shortage of essential goods, but at a very high cost," he said. "The main cost will be passed to
According to the Iranian state broadcaster, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the remarks in talks with Norway's deputy foreign minister during a meeting in Tehran
Iran imposed heavy restrictions on internet after Israel and US started their war on the country in late February, having earlier blocked online access during nationwide protests the previous month
The president is trying to ratchet up the economic pressure on Tehran, but Iran's government is unlikely to make a deal without a big, face-saving compromise
Bessent suggested that the Iranian petroleum sector is facing an imminent crisis and may be forced to begin shutting in wells in the next week, as the nation's crude storage is 'rapidly filling up'
The move aims to choke off a financial lifeline that has moved tens of billions of dollars to fund the Iranian regime's armed forces, missile programs, and regional terrorist proxies
The Islamic Republic has enough unused storage capacity to last another 12 to 22 days
Miller emphasised that US President Donald Trump remains committed to pursuing peace but will not compromise on preventing Iran from developing nuclear capabilities
Iran, according to Nomura's estimates, has been the biggest beneficiary since the war broke out in terms oil revenues that rose 36 per cent y-o-y in March 2026 to $5.7 billion
If US enforces the blockade, the Iranian economy will suffer an enormous blow on top of the war destruction and will need to start shuttering oil wells in next few days as its storage tanks fill up