Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met G20 finance ministers in Asheville, North Carolina, while pushing allies to help isolate Iran and support his sanctions campaign. He said the administration plans to sanction another bank under Operation Economic Outcast and predicted pressure could force change in weeks or months. The talks also centered on global growth, debt, and trade tensions with allies.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks with the press during the 2026 G20 Financial meetings in Asheville, North Carolina, Aug. 31. AFP-Yonhap
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is meeting with finance ministers of the world’s largest economies this week at a time when the United States has disrupted the international order with aggressive tariffs on major allies and an unpopular war on Iran that is keeping gas prices high for consumers.
As Bessent opened meetings of the Group of 20 finance ministers in Asheville on Monday, he said he wants to focus on ways to grow the global economy and rein in mounting debt. But the event comes after hostilities renewed between the U.S. and Iran , and as trade friction with Canada spiked following a breakdown in negotiations that led to escalating tariffs.
