20.08.2026 21:50
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that "the harshest sanctions in history" would be applied to Iran, while calling on other countries, especially China, to cooperate with Washington. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, on the other hand, stated that the US calculation that it could extract concessions from Iran through pressure would be fruitless, and launched a harsh verbal attack on the Trump administration.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made striking statements regarding the United States' new sanctions policy towards Iran.
"WE WILL IMPLEMENT THE HARSHEST SANCTIONS IN HISTORY ON IRAN" Bessent stated that he would hold a press conference on Monday to discuss the details of the sanctions, signaling that the scope of economic pressure on Iran would be expanded. The US Treasury Secretary said, "This is a double blow. We are imposing a blockade on Iran and we will implement the harshest sanctions in history." Bessent argued that this economic pressure would yield results in Iran, stating, "This will work in Iran, and we will bring down this regime."
CALL TO THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY CHINA Within the scope of Washington's policy towards Iran, Bessent also called on US allies and other countries, especially China. The US Treasury Secretary said, "It is time for our allies and the rest of the world to make a decision." Bessent's statements were interpreted as indicating that the US would not limit its economic pressure on Iran solely to its own sanctions mechanisms and would ask other countries to act in coordination with Washington.
Scott Bessent EVALUATED THE RISE IN OIL PRICES Bessent also touched upon the movements in oil markets during his statements. Evaluating the recent rise in oil prices, Bessent said, "I think the oil markets are misinterpreting what this economic pressure means." Stating that he does not fully understand the reason for the rise in the markets, Bessent said, "Even if they have asymmetric information, we are not sure why oil has risen this way."
"THERE MAY NOT BE A LARGE-SCALE KINETIC RESTART" The US Treasury Secretary argued that the economic pressure to be applied also carries significance for the course of military conflict. Bessent said, "If we are applying maximum economic pressure, it probably means there will not be a large-scale kinetic restart." With this statement, Bessent conveyed the message that increasing economic and financial pressure on Iran could prevent the possibility of a new large-scale military operation in the region.
TRUMP'S "LIFELINE" WARNING US President Donald Trump had also given the message yesterday that economic pressure on Iran would be increased. In the process of trying to resolve the war that the US began approximately six months ago together with Israel, Trump warned that countries providing "any kind of lifeline" to Iran would face economic consequences. Washington's latest statements revealed that further economically squeezing Iran is among the US's priorities.
IRAN: YOU CANNOT OBTAIN CONCESSIONS BY SQUEEZING US On the other hand, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that the calculation that the US administration could extract concessions from Iran, which were not previously part of the agreement, by increasing economic and military pressure, would be fruitless. Arguing that Washington's calculation is wrong, Ghalibaf said, "The Americans think that by squeezing Iran more, they will obtain concessions that are not part of the agreement." Addressing US President Donald Trump, pointing to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Ghalibaf commented, "Bessent and Hegseth are taking on a task beyond their capacity. Stop expecting the clown troupe to pull a rabbit out of a hat and clean up the mess you have created."