US enters ‘endgame’ with Iran, warns of ‘economic D-Day’ as Tehran threatens oil exports

Washington signals a new phase of economic pressure on Iran, while Tehran warns that support for US sanctions could be treated as an act of war

PGurus Newsdesk

August 24, 2026

Washington prepares a major economic offensive against Iran as Tehran threatens to halt Gulf oil exports in response

Washington targets Iran’s economic lifelines as Tehran threatens to shut down oil exports

The United States is preparing a major new economic offensive against Iran, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warning that Washington is entering the “endgame” of its campaign against Tehran. Bessent said the US aims to sever Iran’s remaining economic lifelines and impose consequences on countries and businesses that continue dealing with the Islamic Republic.

In an opinion piece, Bessent described the upcoming measures as an “economic D-Day” and warned that countries supporting Iran’s oil trade, financial transactions and fuel transfers could face serious consequences. He said the US wants to intensify economic pressure to push Tehran back towards negotiations.

Iran threatens sweeping oil blockade

Iran has rejected the planned sanctions as illegal and warned that countries supporting the US economic campaign could be treated as participating in an “act of war”. Senior Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran could stop all oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf if the economic pressure continues.

The threat comes as oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have already virtually halted. China, which bought more than 80 per cent of Iran’s shipped oil in 2025, has called for diplomacy. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also backed a diplomatic solution, while parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf acknowledged the pressure on Iran’s economy.

Bessent, meanwhile, warned that if Iran responds to the economic measures with military force, US President Donald Trump would respond “swiftly and decisively”. The US is expected to announce details of the new measures at a news conference on Monday.

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