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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attends a launch event for "Trump Accounts" at the Oval Office in the White House, Washington, D.C. on the 6th of last month (local time). / Reuters-Yonhap

The Trump administration has launched its final offensive aimed at severing Iran's economic lifeline. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on the 23rd (local time) that an "Economic D-Day" operation to financially isolate Iran was imminent, warning that countries failing to cooperate would become "international pariahs."

In a Financial Times op-ed titled "Economic D-Day Is Coming for Iran," Bessent laid out the strategy behind a series of economic measures the U.S. is planning, describing it as "the largest financial offensive ever assembled against an adversary nation."

Trump had signaled earlier this month that the U.S. would shift its strategic focus away from military pressure and toward economic measures aimed at inflicting further damage on Iran's economy and isolating it from global trade markets.

AP reported that as Trump faces this year's midterm elections and a protracted war, the U.S. is refocusing its national resources on ratcheting up pressure to bring Iran — already subject to sweeping economic sanctions — to its knees.

Bessent said, "Countries that sever their remaining financial and commercial ties to Iran will only strengthen their own connectivity," adding, "They will gain broader access to global capital, strengthen confidence in their own markets, and secure the standing they want in the global economy."

He argued, "President Trump and America's overwhelming military power have already dismantled much of Iran's military capability," adding that "Iran's economy has also been laid to waste, with the rial falling to record lows and inflation reaching exceptionally high levels."

The Washington Examiner assessed that the pressure campaign reflects Washington's view that this marks the final stage of severing the Iranian regime's economic lifeline, noting that the core of the effort lies in secondary sanctions targeting countries that purchase Iranian oil or otherwise conduct business with Iran.

Bessent wrote, "The only remaining path for countries connected to Iran is one where every road to sustained prosperity is closed off," adding, "Where trust collapses, illicit financial activity, as is often the case, tends to flourish."

He warned, "Any country serving as a financial artery for a declining regime should be prepared to be isolated along with it," adding, "Becoming a haven for terrorism means, from America's perspective, becoming an international pariah."

Reuters interpreted Bessent's remarks as suggesting that while he has not yet outlined specific measures, the U.S. plans to target "fear-driven countries" pursuing an "appeasement" approach by continuing to do business with Iran's economic and financial system.

                                                                                                            Kim Hyun-min