Trump Team Reveals New Iran Plan

The Trump administration is preparing to dramatically increase economic pressure on Iran, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealing that a new round of measures is expected to be announced next week.

The coming action could have major implications for Iran’s economy, global oil markets, the Strait of Hormuz, gasoline prices and U.S. national security as President Donald Trump continues his effort to financially isolate Tehran.

During an appearance Thursday on Newsmax’s “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” Bessent said the administration is preparing economic measures unlike those previously used in the campaign against Iran.

Bessent indicated that Americans should expect additional announcements next week as Washington attempts to tighten Iran’s access to international financial markets and sources of revenue.

Trump Escalates His “Maximum Pressure” Strategy

The latest development is part of Trump’s broader maximum-pressure campaign against Iran, a strategy designed to restrict the Iranian government’s ability to finance its military activities and regional allies.

Trump formally restored the policy in February 2025 and instructed the Treasury Department to strengthen sanctions enforcement against individuals, companies and financial networks accused of helping Iran circumvent U.S. restrictions.

Bessent said the president had directed Treasury officials to aggressively increase financial pressure on Tehran.

Since then, the department has pursued Iranian-linked bank accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, overseas assets and international payment networks in an effort to restrict revenue reaching the Iranian government and its leadership.

Those measures have become an increasingly important part of Trump’s Iran strategy as the administration attempts to use America’s economic power alongside its military strength.

Treasury Goes After Iran’s Money

The financial campaign intensified following Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military operation against Iran earlier this year.

Bessent said the administration subsequently moved from military pressure toward what Treasury officials have called “Economic Fury.”

Under that strategy, Washington has targeted some of the financial networks Iran relies upon to generate revenue and conduct international transactions.

Treasury officials say the campaign has disrupted tens of billions of dollars in revenue that otherwise could have been available to Tehran and organizations backed by the Iranian government.

U.S. enforcement actions have focused on Iran’s oil industry, shipping operations, cryptocurrency holdings, weapons-procurement networks, sanctions-evasion operations and shadow banking system.

The administration’s objective is to make it increasingly difficult for Tehran to sell oil, receive payments and move money through the international financial system.

Iran’s Oil Industry Faces Growing Pressure

Iran’s energy sector is particularly important because oil exports remain a major source of government revenue.

Restricting those exports could deprive Tehran of money, but developments involving Iranian oil can also have consequences for consumers thousands of miles away.

Global crude oil supplies influence everything from gasoline and diesel prices to transportation expenses, manufacturing costs and household inflation.

For Americans living on fixed incomes or carefully managing retirement savings, changes in energy prices can quickly become noticeable at the gas pump and in monthly household expenses.

That means the administration’s campaign against Iran is not simply a foreign-policy story. Its economic effects could ultimately reach American consumers, businesses and financial markets.

Strait of Hormuz Becomes a Critical Battleground

The administration is also pairing its economic campaign with continued pressure surrounding Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most strategically important waterways in the global economy.

Bessent said Washington intends to combine greater economic isolation with the continuing blockade affecting Iranian maritime trade.

The Strait of Hormuz is crucial because substantial amounts of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally move through the narrow waterway.

Any significant disruption can create uncertainty in global energy markets, potentially affecting crude oil prices, shipping costs and ultimately what American drivers pay for gasoline.

For the Trump administration, maintaining pressure in the region provides another way to limit Tehran’s ability to benefit financially from international trade.

Treasury Tightens Sanctions on Iranian Shipping

The Treasury Department intensified sanctions against Iranian shipping and financial networks in July following renewed Iranian attacks on international vessels operating around the Strait of Hormuz.

Those measures were intended to make it harder for Iran to move oil, collect international payments and use complicated financial networks to bypass U.S. sanctions.

The administration has repeatedly argued that economic pressure can reduce Tehran’s ability to finance military operations and support allied groups throughout the Middle East.

Bessent’s latest comments indicate that Washington believes there is considerably more financial pressure it can apply.

New Iran Measures Expected Next Week

The biggest development may still be coming.

Bessent said the administration plans to announce additional measures next week that would push Iran toward an extraordinary degree of economic isolation.

Exactly what those measures will include has not yet been publicly detailed.

However, the administration’s previous actions provide clues about where Washington could concentrate its efforts, including oil exports, international banking, shipping, cryptocurrency transactions, overseas assets and sanctions enforcement.

The strategy represents another example of Trump relying on American economic leverage to pursue foreign-policy objectives.

What It Could Mean for American Consumers

While the immediate target is Tehran, the economic consequences of the confrontation could extend far beyond Iran.

Oil markets are global. A significant change in supplies moving through the Middle East can influence crude oil prices, gasoline costs, inflation, transportation expenses and financial markets in the United States.

That creates a difficult balancing act for Washington.

The administration wants to impose enough economic pain to pressure Iranian leaders without producing disruptions that significantly increase costs for American families.

For conservative voters who support a tougher approach toward Iran, the effectiveness of that strategy may ultimately be judged by two standards: whether it weakens Tehran’s ability to threaten American interests and whether it can accomplish that goal without forcing U.S. consumers to absorb substantially higher energy costs.

Trump’s Iran Strategy Enters a New Phase

Bessent’s announcement signals that the confrontation with Iran is entering another important stage.

Rather than relying exclusively on military power, the administration is increasingly using sanctions, banking restrictions, oil pressure and international financial enforcement to squeeze Tehran economically.

The central question is whether those measures will persuade Iranian leaders to negotiate or lead to additional confrontation.

For Americans, there is another question that may prove just as important: What will the escalating pressure on Iran mean for oil prices, gasoline costs and the U.S. economy?

With the Trump administration promising significant new measures next week, those answers could begin arriving soon.