US threatens Iran with sweeping sanctions and Hormuz blockade
What's next: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said fresh measures are due next week as fighting and shipping tensions persist.
The United States is preparing what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described as unprecedented economic isolation for Iran, paired with continued pressure on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. In an Aug. 13 interview with Newsmax, Bessent said more steps are expected next week and framed the strategy as a mix of financial punishment and a physical squeeze on Iranian ports. The warning marks a harder US line after earlier comments this month that a deal to reopen the strait could come quickly. The waterway remains central to the conflict because of its role in global oil shipments and commercial traffic.