Iran Prepares to Defend Its Economy as Washington Threatens Unprecedented Sanctions

Amid trade embargoes, asset freezes and attacks on ships as part of a naval blockade, Washington has announced a plan to enact a new wave of restrictions on Iran, targeting its economy. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated last Thursday that the United States was planning to inflict more economic damage on Tehran as early as this week, applying measures never before seen in the history of economic isolation.

President Donald Trump echoed these sentiments, demanding that Iran raise the white flag of surrender while asserting he is in no rush to end the war. Since February 2025, Washington has sanctioned more than 1,000 Iran-related persons, vessels, and aircraft, according to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). In response, Iranian authorities remain defiant, indicating a potential shift to offensive operations and preparations against a ground invasion.

Mohammad Reza Farzanegan, an economics professor at Philipps-Universitat Marburg, noted that the naval blockade combines traditional sanctions with military force to cause physical goods shortages. Meanwhile, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and top negotiator, declared that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States fulfills commitments made in the expired memorandum of understanding (MoU).

President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration is prioritizing market stabilization and national resilience, but economists warn that deep structural issues, inflation, and ongoing conflict threaten the nation's roughly 90 million people as Washington prepares to tighten energy sector sanctions further.