The US is preparing unprecedented economic measures against Iran as President Donald Trump seeks to pressure Tehran to end the nearly six-month war. Talks between Washington and Tehran have stalled, while clashes and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz continue to affect global oil flows.
According to Bloomberg, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said further measures would be announced soon, describing them as unprecedented in the history of economic isolation. Iran’s economy has already suffered from extensive sanctions, damaged industrial capacity and sharply reduced crude exports.
However, analysts question whether additional sanctions can significantly pressure Tehran without targeting major buyers of Iranian oil, particularly China, a move that could trigger retaliation from Beijing and further destabilize global energy markets.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a major obstacle to a peace deal. Iran and the US both claim control over the strategic waterway, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas flows passed before the war. Iran and Oman are separately negotiating arrangements to facilitate shipping through the strait, but the US is not directly involved in those talks.