Washington, DC, August 21 (TNA) The United States on Thursday stepped up pressure on Iran, warning its allies and China to join President Donald Trump’s campaign to isolate the Iranian economy and vowing that Washington would “collapse this regime” in Tehran.
U.S. Treasury chief Scott Bessent announced that the United States would impose “the toughest sanctions in history” on Iran. He said further details of the latest sanctions package would be shared at a press conference on Monday.
Bessent, when asked whether Washington could target China over its business ties with Iran, said some conversations were better held in private. His remarks came a day after President Donald Trump threatened “Economic Warfare” and warned of economic consequences for any country providing “any type of lifeline to Iran.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry had earlier condemned the U.S. economic and trade sanctions, describing them as “economic terrorism.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Trump’s remarks were an attempt to divert American public attention from domestic financial problems, including record debt and rising interest rates.
Meanwhile, China’s embassy in Washington said that “sanctions and pressure do not help resolve the problem.” An embassy spokesperson said China called on the relevant parties to take responsible actions and resolve the issue through political and diplomatic means.