No Need for Large-Scale Offensive? Besent Claims Sanctions Can Crush Iran

U.S. Treasury Secretary Besent stated on Thursday (the 20th) that the Trump administration is planning to fully escalate economic pressure on Iran, which might eliminate the need to restart large-scale military operations. He announced a press conference next Monday to unveil specific sanction measures.

In an exclusive interview with CNBC, Besent said that if the U.S. can enforce maximum economic pressure, a large-scale armed conflict is unlikely to reignite. He declared that the U.S. will launch the largest coordinated economic isolation campaign in history against Iran, forcing allies and other nations to take sides.

Earlier, President Trump posted on Truth Social, announcing major penalties against any country providing Tehran with economic lifelines, aiming to completely blockade Iran’s economy. He described this operation as "Economic D-Day," calling on all allies to jointly isolate and defeat the Iranian threat.

Besent said the U.S. will warn its allies that continued engagement with Iran—including money transfers, purchasing Iranian oil, or assisting maritime transfers—will trigger full enforcement actions by the U.S. Treasury and government. He claimed the world has reached a moment of decision, and the U.S. aims to completely crush Iran’s economy.

He dismissed skepticism about the effectiveness of sanctions, stating that economic pressure will be combined with the U.S. Navy’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports in the Gulf of Oman, creating a dual blow of maritime封锁 and the harshest sanctions in history. Besent even stated that the U.S. intends to bring down the Iranian regime. Following these remarks, international oil prices rose.

The U.S.-Iran conflict has lasted nearly six months, but there are still no signs that the U.S. is close to achieving diplomatic or military victory. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the U.S. has effectively destroyed Iran’s military and economic capabilities, asserting that Iran is on the brink of collapse. Iran’s economy is believed to have contracted due to the conflict, with inflation reaching historic highs, though some experts warn it cannot yet be concluded that its economy is about to disintegrate.

Iran continues to disrupt energy transportation via the Strait of Hormuz. Before the conflict, about 20% of global oil trade passed through this waterway, and tanker traffic remains significantly below normal levels. On Wednesday, the United Arab Emirates, after suffering another Iranian ballistic missile attack, announced it would halt all trade with Iran.