Ahead of the 30th anniversary of Princess Diana's death, the Duke of Sussex is reportedly exploring a documentary project and...
Read More
International-News
Bessent: Trump urges world leaders to cut economic ties with Iran
The Treasury secretary unveils “Economic Outcast,” a new U.S. pressure campaign targeting Tehran’s financial networks and warning countries that continue doing business with the Iranian regime
President Donald Trump is personally contacting world leaders to urge them to end their economic ties with Iran, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said as he unveiled “Economic Outcast,” a new U.S. campaign designed to intensify financial pressure on Tehran.
“Any entity that facilitates money laundering on behalf of Iran will be excluded from the U.S. dollar system,” Bessent said at a news conference.
According to the Treasury secretary, Trump is calling foreign leaders directly with specific requests that they end their economic interactions with the Iranian regime. Bessent warned that countries continuing to facilitate those relations should quickly take Washington’s message into account.
Those that align themselves with the United States, he said, “will reap the benefits of partnership,” while countries that “tie their fate to the Iranian regime should expect to share in its isolation.”
The new sanctions announced by Washington will target five major sources that Tehran relies on abroad: digital assets, technology, gold, aviation and maritime transportation.
Bessent said the Office of Foreign Assets Control is imposing measures against more than 60 entities, individuals and vessels allegedly involved in the illicit procurement of nuclear and missile technology, cyber operations and the generation of oil revenues.
The goal, he said, is to “eliminate every last economic option available to Iran.”
“There must be no ambiguity about the position of the United States,” Bessent said. “Any form of economic relationship with this murderous regime will expose those responsible to the full force of American power.”
Bessent’s message to Iranian soldiers
During the launch of the operation, Bessent also addressed Iranian soldiers directly, urging them to question their military leadership and invoking the role played by security forces in the fall of the Berlin Wall.
“To the rank-and-file soldiers who support this regime, as more and more of your paychecks stop arriving, ask yourselves whether your commanders are leading the country toward triumph or toward ruin,” Bessent said.
“The Berlin Wall fell when rank-and-file soldiers decided not to fire on their own people.”
Asked about Chinese banks involved in the sale of Iranian oil, Bessent said that “no one is beyond the reach of U.S. sanctions.”
Although he did not directly name Beijing, he said the most effective way to engage with such countries was through “quiet diplomacy.”
Bessent said “Economic Outcast” is part of a broader “economic offensive against Iran’s financial ties around the world.”
The objective, he concluded, is to sever every economic lifeline supporting the Iranian regime until Tehran is completely isolated.
THE LATEST NEWS
Russian Election Numbers Face Fresh Scrutiny as Independent Analysts Challenge Official Results
22 September 2026
Alternative statistical analyses of Russia’s parliamentary vote suggest markedly lower support for Vladimir Putin’s ruling party, disputed turnout figures and...
Read More
World Remains Unprepared for the Next Pandemic, Lancet Commission Warns
22 September 2026
Nearly seven years after the first COVID-19 infections emerged, researchers say governments have failed to address the structural weaknesses exposed...
Read More
Hayden Panettiere’s Cause of Death Confirmed as Accidental Overdose
22 September 2026
A South Carolina medical examiner determined that the former Heroes actress died from a lethal combination of fentanyl and other...
Read More
Verizon Fiber-Optic Cable Cut Disrupts Flights at Major East Coast Airports
21 September 2026
Delays and cancellations spread across key airports in New York, New Jersey, Boston and Philadelphia after a construction crew accidentally...
Read More
UK Air Traffic Control Fault Disrupts Flights Again, Sparking Fresh Criticism
21 September 2026
Hundreds of flights were affected across the United Kingdom after a technical issue at the country's air traffic control network,...
Read More
(Photo: © AndKronos)
