U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday that the United States will employ 'measures that have never been used' against Iran, according to Reuters. The statement follows his earlier announcement of 'Operation Economic Fury' and a promise of unprecedented sanctions on Tehran next week, as reported by The Zioneer.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement cited by Reuters on Friday morning that the United States will employ "measures that have never been used" against the Iranian regime, without specifying their nature. The latest assertion anchors the administration's economic pressure campaign in an escalation of rhetoric, as Bessent continues to frame the strategy as a comprehensive economic and military siege.
Earlier today, at 02:20 Jerusalem time, Bessent unveiled "Operation Economic Fury" — a program that he said will impose financial isolation "never before seen in the history of economic isolation of a country," set to take effect next week. In rapid succession, he elaborated that the measures would combine economic isolation with a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, and estimated that 14–15 million barrels of oil still exit daily via the strait with transponders off. He urged monitoring of developments in the coming week.
As The Zioneer has reported over recent weeks, Bessent has been a key architect of the Trump administration's "whole-of-government" strategy, integrating economic pressure with kinetic operations. In earlier reports, he warned that Iran will lose the "zero-sum game" and predicted that the Strait of Hormuz will become "irrelevant" within two years as energy traffic shifts to pipelines. The Zioneer also noted in its August 14 Eye on Zion briefing that the UAE strongly condemned an Iranian attack on two oil vessels in the strait.
The specific nature of the "never used" measures remains undisclosed. Diplomatic talks with Tehran remain stalled or conditional, and it is unclear whether the new economic threats signal an imminent operational shift or a continued posture of maximum pressure.
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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