{"id":6,"date":"2026-08-26T06:46:31","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T06:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.cambonews.news\/?p=6"},"modified":"2026-08-26T07:01:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T07:01:47","slug":"us-turns-to-economic-pressure-as-iran-war-remains-stuck-in-stalemate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.cambonews.news\/?p=6","title":{"rendered":"US turns to economic pressure as Iran war remains stuck in stalemate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">by&nbsp;AUSTIN DENEAN | The National News DeskTue, August 25, 2026 at 1:39 PM<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"UserWay icon for accessibility widget\" height=\"26\" width=\"26\" src=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/resources\/defaults\/news_3.0\/icons\/accessibility\/userway-transparent.svg\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/news\/nation-world\/gallery\/us-turns-to-economic-pressure-as-iran-war-remains-stuck-in-stalemate-treasury-sanctions-economic-d-day-strait-of-hormuz-nuclear-uranium-enrichment?photo=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GettyImages-2291861008.jpg\" height=\"660\" width=\"1174\" src=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/resources\/media2\/16x9\/6998\/1174\/0x185\/80\/f6078807-6bcc-473b-8f7a-857b3838fa11-GettyImages2291861008.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/news\/nation-world\/gallery\/us-turns-to-economic-pressure-as-iran-war-remains-stuck-in-stalemate-treasury-sanctions-economic-d-day-strait-of-hormuz-nuclear-uranium-enrichment?photo=2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GettyImages-2291864960.jpg\" height=\"225\" width=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/resources\/media2\/16x9\/8192\/400\/0x428\/80\/0ee8c9d2-e092-4efe-bfa9-721ae3e2cf19-GettyImages2291864960.jpg\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/news\/nation-world\/gallery\/us-turns-to-economic-pressure-as-iran-war-remains-stuck-in-stalemate-treasury-sanctions-economic-d-day-strait-of-hormuz-nuclear-uranium-enrichment?photo=1\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/news\/nation-world\/gallery\/us-turns-to-economic-pressure-as-iran-war-remains-stuck-in-stalemate-treasury-sanctions-economic-d-day-strait-of-hormuz-nuclear-uranium-enrichment?photo=1\"><strong>3<\/strong><strong>VIEW ALL PHOTOS<\/strong><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/news\/nation-world\/gallery\/us-turns-to-economic-pressure-as-iran-war-remains-stuck-in-stalemate-treasury-sanctions-economic-d-day-strait-of-hormuz-nuclear-uranium-enrichment?photo=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GettyImages-2291861362.jpg\" height=\"225\" width=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/resources\/media2\/16x9\/7205\/400\/0x377\/80\/e49e716b-d3c8-43b0-bf84-9491b3ac146a-GettyImages2291861362.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; AUGUST 24: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announces a new set of sanctions against Iran, describing them as &#8220;an economic D-Day,&#8221; in the Cash Room at the Treasury Department on August 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. Bessent threatened Iran in an opinion piece in the Financial Times on Sunday with &#8220;the single greatest financial offensive ever&#8221;, almost six months after the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran in February. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>0<\/strong>Comment<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Share<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/topic\/Iran\">Iran<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/topic\/United%20States\">United States<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/topic\/Economic%20sanctions\">Economic sanctions<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/topic\/Nuclear%20program\">Nuclear program<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/topic\/Strait%20of%20Hormuz\">Strait of Hormuz<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/topic\/Treasury\">Treasury<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/topic\/Digital%20assets\">Digital assets<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cbs4local.com\/topic\/China\">China<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON (TNND) \u2014&nbsp;The United States is ramping up economic pressure on Iran to break a stalemate with no clear off-ramp to bringing an end to the conflict after weeks of military strikes were not enough to yield a deal to end Tehran\u2019s nuclear program or restore traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday announced a new campaign of financial sanctions aiming to close loopholes in the preexisting sanctions on Iran and force the regime to the negotiating table to bring an end to the conflict. He also warned other countries that do not abide by the sanctions could soon meet the wrath of the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLet there be no ambiguity as to the position of the United States: An economic engagement of any kind with this murderous regime will expose those responsible to the full reach of American power,\u201d Bessent said during a press conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Countries and businesses in digital assets, technology, gold, aviation and shipping will be hit with sanctions for aiding Iran, the department said. More than 60 individuals, entities and vessels that help the regime earn revenue from oil, obtain missile and nuclear technology and carry out cyberattacks are also being targeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bessent Unveils ECONOMIC OUTCAST Sanctions Campaign Against Iran\" width=\"735\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/J8e_pCEXOwI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It marks the latest attempt by the Trump administration to bring an end to a conflict that is dragging into a six month after launching what was initially supposed to be a four- to six-week operation in February. Negotiations to bring the war to an end have been stalled since a brief ceasefire was reached in June that gave way when Iran started firing on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. has backed off the military onslaught that was featured in the opening weeks of the war but has not ruled out returning to strikes if economic coercion isn\u2019t effective. Iran has been defiant of U.S. demands to give up ambitions of controlling the strait, preserving its ability to continue to enrich uranium and ending funding of proxy forces in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iran\u2019s economy has already been dealt significant blows after years of sanctions and its currency has plummeted in value since the war started. Iranians are also dealing with double-digit inflation that is making it increasingly expensive to afford necessities. But the economic pressures have not led to a political uprising after the regime\u2019s brutal crackdown on protesters in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIran has already been laboring under this whole suite of penalties and sanctions for decades now, and their economy has been squeezed since that starting point,\u201d said Javed Ali, a former counterterrorism official in the federal government and associate professor of practice at the University of Michigan. \u201cHow much more economic pressure can be brought to bear beyond what exists already?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The administration is hoping more aggressive enforcement and enhanced cooperation can further isolate Iran and cut off revenue to continue funding the hardline regime and its military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bessent said the president was also contacting other world leaders to get their support in helping the U.S. in the \u201ceconomic asphyxiation of this regime.\u201d He did not say who Trump would be speaking to, but Iran\u2019s main trading partners include China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The UAE announced last week it was stopping all trade and financial transactions with Iran, but getting others to follow suit could be more challenging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Iran PROMISES &amp;apos;seismic&amp;apos; response: Economic D-Day\" width=\"735\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-LdFfxnTbCo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How effective the new round of sanctions will be may depend heavily on China, who is the top buyer of Iranian oil and has defied American sanctions on Tehran\u2019s energy industry for years. Bessent did not mention China in his remarks about the sanctions but said \u201cno one is above\u201d their reach when asked if Chinese banks that do business with Iran could be targeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Getting that cooperation from Beijing may be challenging, as China already pushed back aggressively on the new sanctions, accusing the United States of disrupting the global economy and vowing to defend its own interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEconomic warfare and maximum pressure will not help resolve the issue. They will only further intensify tensions and conflicts, create spillover risk\u201d China\u2019s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in a press briefing. \u201cChina\u2019s cooperation with Iran has always been conducted within the framework of international law and should not be disrupted or undermined.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Much of the efforts toward the conflict have shifted toward reopening the strait, a vital waterway for oil shipments, since Iran brought traffic to a halt by laying mines, firing on and threatening ships trying to traverse the narrow passage off its coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iranian leaders have already vowed resistance to the sanctions and promised to respond by shutting down all oil exports in the region, raising the stakes of trying to force Tehran into concessions without escalating the conflict again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tehran\u2019s continued disruption of the strait has also squeezed the global economy and put mounting political pressure on Trump with midterm elections coming in November. Expensive gasoline and questions from voters on whether the war is worth the costs they are paying for it and raised challenges for Republicans hoping to keep their majorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. and Iranian officials have met with mediators since the initial ceasefire fell through in June, though have not yet been able to make a breakthrough to find a lasting resolution to the war. Iran\u2019s leaders have refused to give in on Washington\u2019s central demands and has a long history of putting off making deals while drawing out negotiations as long as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The stalemate has created a challenging dynamic and raised questions about whether economic pressure can change the regime\u2019s calculations or if its leaders think they have more to gain by waiting Washington out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEvery day they&#8217;re not fighting probably offers them some tactical advantage because they&#8217;re not using resources and they&#8217;re not getting attacked in the way they were previously,\u201d Ali said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by&nbsp;AUSTIN DENEAN | The National News DeskTue, August 25, 2026 at 1:39 PM 3VIEW ALL PHOTOS WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; AUGUST 24: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announces a new set &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.cambonews.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.cambonews.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.cambonews.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.cambonews.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.cambonews.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/news.cambonews.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15,"href":"https:\/\/news.cambonews.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6\/revisions\/15"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.cambonews.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.cambonews.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.cambonews.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}