The United States is preparing unprecedented economic measures against Iran, as President Donald Trump aims to intensify pressure to compel Tehran to surrender following nearly six months of conflict.
In a brief Fox News interview, the president said the United States intends to deliver a hard blow to Iran’s economy and expressed indifference to whether the conflict concludes before the November midterm elections, which will be shaped by voters’ views on the economy. He acknowledged difficulty finding an exit from the war, which has driven up oil and gasoline prices.
Negotiations between the United States and Iran intended to secure a durable peace have stalled, and sporadic clashes persist, disrupting oil and other vital commodity shipments through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Both parties accuse each other of bad‑faith negotiating, while Iran has taken measures to assert control over the waterway.
During a Long Island speech on Friday, Trump claimed the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports constituted a “wall of steel” that gave Washington effective control of the waterway, while Iran maintains it is managing traffic through the strait.
“Pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” Trump remarked with a chuckle.
In a Newsmax interview on Thursday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that further announcements regarding unprecedented economic measures against Iran are expected next week, though he did not detail what those measures would entail.
