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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Thursday that any country maintaining relations with Iran will face severe economic consequences, echoing President Donald Trump’s warning a day earlier of what he called the “most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country.”<\/p>\n
Backs Trump’s Iran Warning<\/p>\n
“Any remaining tie to Tehran will hasten a nation’s economic oblivion, whether that tie be purposefully constructed or willfully ignored,” Bessent said in a post on X, sharing Trump’s Wednesday Truth Social post.<\/p>\n
Any remaining tie to Tehran will hasten a nation’s economic oblivion, whether that tie be purposefully constructed or willfully ignored. pic.twitter.com\/T3vticluAg<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) August 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Don’t Miss:<\/p>\n Trump had said oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers and ship registries supporting Iran “all needs to stop now,” calling the effort an “economic D-Day” and warning that Washington needs allies to help “isolate and defeat” the Iranian threat.<\/p>\n Pressure Campaign to a Broader Strategy<\/p>\n Speaking on CNBC, Bessent said the economic pressure campaign on Iran would amount to “the greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world,” telling allies they must choose between the U.S. and continuing business with Tehran or face enforcement from the U.S. Treasury.<\/p>\n He said the strategy combines a naval blockade with what he called “the toughest sanctions in history,” calling it a “one-two punch.”<\/p>\n Deflecting On China<\/p>\n When asked whether the pressure campaign extends to China, Iran’s largest economic partner, Bessent declined to detail specifics, saying “many conversations are best to have in private.”<\/p>\n Trending: Avoid the #1 Investing Mistake: How Your ‘Safe’ Holdings Could Be Costing You Big Time<\/a><\/p>\n He said China relies on the Gulf for roughly half its energy needs, adding that cooperating with the pressure campaign “would do them a big service.”<\/p>\n Tensions Remain High Since the Ceasefire Lapsed<\/p>\n The warnings come after a 60-day U.S.-Iran ceasefire expired without a broader peace deal, with a senior Iranian official threatening a “fully offensive” posture.<\/p>\n Joe Kent, Trump’s former counterterrorism chief, has warned the pressure campaign could backfire, saying “it’s very likely that Iran will respond by striking the troops we have still in the region,” and urged Washington to pull U.S. troops out of harm’s way instead.<\/p>\n Photo Courtesy: Maxim Elramsisy on Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n Read Next:\u00a0<\/p>\n Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market<\/p>\n Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. 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