U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday the United States will implement measures 'never seen before in the history of economic isolation' against a country, and urged staying tuned for announcements next week. The statement follows earlier warnings of unprecedented sanctions on Iran as part of 'Operation Economic Fury.'
Dispatching from the desk — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday urged the public to stay tuned for additional announcements next week, reiterating a call first made earlier in the day. The statement came shortly after a Reuters report at 10:24 Jerusalem in which Bessent said Washington would employ 'measures that have never been used' against Iran.
The thread began at 02:20 Jerusalem, when Bessent first promised 'unprecedented' economic isolation of Iran. Within the same hour, The Zioneer reported several updates: Bessent named the initiative 'Operation Economic Fury,' stated the measures would combine economic isolation with a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and estimated that 14–15 million barrels of oil still transit the strait daily. At 10:24 Jerusalem, Reuters confirmed Bessent's commitment to 'measures never used before,' corroborating the earlier reports. The source of the statements transitioned from a single Israeli outlet (ynet) to multiple international news agencies.
As The Zioneer previously reported, Bessent has been a central architect of the administration's 'whole-of-government' approach to Iran, where Treasury leverage is applied in tandem with military pressure. He has described the ongoing campaign as a 'siege' and vowed to pursue Iranian funds worldwide. In early August, Bessent indicated a framework to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was within reach and could be finalized within days, but no agreement has been announced.
The precise scope of the forthcoming 'unprecedented' measures remains unspecified — whether they will target oil exports, financial networks, or entities facilitating Iranian trade. A diplomatic resolution to the Hormuz blockade also remains pending.
10 developments
- DevelopingUS Treasury Secretary: Siege on Iran will not stop, vows to pursue Tehran's funds globally
- DevelopingUS Treasury Secretary Bessent warns Iran will lose the zero-sum game
- DevelopingBessent: Iran deal possible within 48 hours with 30-60 day ceasefire
- DevelopingUS Treasury Secretary: Iran deal could be signed by early next week
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