US President Donald Trump has threatened Iran with what he described as an unprecedented economic assault, warning countries that continue to provide financial or commercial support to Tehran that they could face severe economic consequences.
In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform late Wednesday, Trump said any country allowing its financial institutions, companies, airports or government agencies to provide Iran with “any form of lifeline” would face what he called severe economic consequences.
Trump said Tehran had failed to seize an opportunity to reach an agreement with Washington and announced what he described as the “most crushing economic operation ever undertaken against any country.” The US president called for an end to what he described as the smuggling of Iranian oil, barter transactions, cash transfers, exchange-company activity, ship registrations and the use of shell companies.
‘Economic landing’ modeled on D-Day
He said the measures were intended to “paralyze Iran” and curb its ability to support terrorism. Trump compared the campaign to an “economic landing,” invoking the Allied landings in Normandy during World War II.
The Normandy operation, launched by Allied forces from Britain in June 1944, was the largest amphibious landing in military history and opened a new front against Nazi Germany. More than two million soldiers and 300,000 military vehicles took part.
Treasury chief: ‘With us or against us’
Trump called on US allies to support Washington in its effort to isolate and defeat what he described as the Iranian threat. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reinforced the administration’s message, telling CNBC that allies were effectively “either with us or against us” in efforts to isolate Iran economically.
Asked whether Washington would pressure China, Bessent said some discussions were better conducted privately, while urging Beijing to cooperate with the US strategy. He said the economic campaign would succeed and predicted that Washington would push Iran’s government toward collapse, describing the effort as potentially the most extensive coordinated economic isolation campaign in history.
Iran accuses Trump of seeking distraction
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi rejected Trump’s statements, describing them as an attempt to divert attention from economic problems inside the United States, including high debt levels and rising interest rates. Araqchi said Washington’s continued pursuit of what he called failed policies would only produce further failures.
Trump pursued a similar “maximum pressure” strategy against Tehran during his first presidential term, imposing sweeping economic sanctions on Iran. China also opposed the pressure campaign. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said sanctions and pressure would not resolve the dispute and urged all parties to pursue political and diplomatic solutions.
USS George Washington arrives in Middle East
According to data from analytics firm Kpler cited in the report, China purchased more than 80 percent of Iran’s exported oil shipments last year. The economic pressure campaign comes alongside continued US military deployments in the region.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the USS George Washington aircraft carrier and its strike group arrived in the Middle East operations area on Wednesday as part of a previously planned deployment.
CENTCOM released images showing naval personnel on the carrier’s deck as the vessel transited the Arabian Sea.
The George Washington is expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose deployment in the region lasted about nine months.
