US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared on Thursday that Washington is preparing to execute economic actions against Tehran on a scale never previously attempted.
"Watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country," Bessent told Newsmax in an interview.
"It will be a combination of economic isolation like the world has never seen before, and the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that will keep anything from going in or out of the Iranian ports," he added.
Bessent's warnings follow statements made earlier Thursday on Fox News by US Vice President JD Vance, who defined America's primary goals in the ongoing standoff as guaranteeing global energy market stability and stopping Tehran from securing nuclear capabilities.
Outlining Washington's two main mandates, Vance stated, “It's ensuring that the Gulf countries continue to send oil and gas to the world economy so that we have energy price stability. That's obviously important for the American people. I know that oil is down today and it's way down from the highs in the early days of the conflict. That's goal number one, keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country."
“And then obviously goal number two is [to] ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. I feel confident we're accomplishing both of those goals, but it's inherently an unpredictable thing because the Iranians themselves are unpredictable and they sometimes don't honor the commitments they've made to us," Vance concluded.
These comments align with recent declarations from President Donald Trump concerning the trajectory of the conflict.
Earlier in the week, when asked by a reporter whether a significant escalation remained an option - following prior warnings that ongoing diplomatic talks were Iran's final opportunity before "decapitation" - Trump answered, “You’ll find out."
When pressed further on whether a massive escalation was still under consideration, Trump stated, “Well, we certainly have that ability if we want to do that. You’ll find out."
The following day, speaking to reporters on the tarmac after traveling to Ohio, Trump underscored his deep skepticism of Iranian authorities while asserting firm US military control over vital sea routes.
"Iran is going fine, going just absolutely fine," Trump said, adding, “I'm the last person to trust Iran. They've lied to me constantly. We have total control over the Hormuz Strait right now. They don't have control. We have total control. We own it. And at some point, maybe they'll do something, and then they get blown away."
"But we right now, we're in a very good position. We have a country that has been the bully of the Middle East for 50 years. It's been saying 47 for four years. And they're no longer the bully of the Middle East," Trump stated.