U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced in a live broadcast the launch of what he described as historic sanctions against Iran, implementing the economic campaign President Donald Trump promised days earlier. Speaking directly to the press, Bessent framed the measures as an all-encompassing effort to isolate Tehran financially.
"We are launching a global economic offensive against Iran," Bessent declared, introducing the initiative under the name "Operation Global Pariah." He described it as "a ruthless assault on Iran's economic lifelines, on entities and nations cooperating with them. The time has come to choose sides - and choose correctly. Iran or the United States. Those who choose wrongly will be cut off from the global economic system and from the U.S. dollar."
The Treasury Secretary said President Trump has decided to end the Iranian threat once and for all. "The United States intends to block every avenue through which the Revolutionary Guards bring in funds," Bessent stated. "Our goal is to enforce a 'zero-leakage' system. We intend to close every oxygen pipe and cash pathway available to the regime."
Bessent went on to describe Trump's personal involvement in the campaign, saying the president is calling world leaders directly and demanding they halt all trade and economic ties with Iran. "There is no more tolerance for economic relationships with Iran, no more acceptance of games in the gray area," he said. "These countries will have limited time to stop commerce and reverse actions benefiting Iran that have been identified by the Treasury Department. I want to be clear—this is economic 'judgment day.'"
"Any economic relationship with Iran is an economic relationship against the United States," the Treasury chief continued. "Every dollar that reaches Iran's hands is stolen from the international treasury one way or another. That ends now. As I speak, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control is imposing sanctions on more than 60 entities, individuals, and vessels around the world that enable the Iranian regime to illegally acquire nuclear technology and missiles, conduct cyber operations, and generate oil revenue."
In a striking conclusion, Bessent addressed ordinary Iranian soldiers directly, issuing what amounted to a call for internal resistance. "To the regular soldiers supporting this regime: as more and more of your paychecks stop coming, as you grow hungry while your commanders flee abroad, remember that the Berlin Wall was not brought down by leaders, it was brought down by soldiers who refused to shoot. Perhaps the same can happen in Tehran."
