Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the US is getting ready to squeeze Iran with unprecedented economic pressure, a claim critics greeted with skepticism given the country is already subject to a naval blockade and thousands of sanctions.
While the Trump administration hasn’t said what it’s planning to do, there are still pressure points that Bessent’s Treasury Department could hit. The main challenge is that targeting the remaining options risk blowback on the US economy.
“Unless the president decides to prioritize addressing the Iran threat over all other issues, and namely China, it’s unlikely any action they take is going to materially change Iran’s calculus,” Bloomberg Economics analyst Chris Kennedy said.
Below is a look at a few options. They’re far from exhaustive and it remains unclear which, if any, the administration will pursue. Officials could combine several of these measures or opt for a different approach altogether.
China Ties
