The American Times News | Economy, Geopolitics, Calculators

  The Iranian rial has fallen to a historic low as Tehran braces for a new U.S. sanctions campaign that Washington has described as one of its most aggressive economic offensives yet. On the open market, the U.S. dollar crossed 2 million Iranian rials on Sunday, according to market reports, marking another sharp deterioration in the currency’s value as diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran remain stalled. AP News The timing is significant. The Trump administration has spent recent weeks escalating economic pressure on Iran, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to outline the next round of measures on Monday at 2 p.m. EDT. Bessent has called the planned campaign the “toughest sanctions in history,” while Reuters has reported that the measures are expected to target not only Iran but also foreign businesses and countries that continue significant economic dealings with Tehran. That means the immediate economic story is not simply that another sanctions pack...

The confrontation between Washington and Tehran is entering a more economically intense phase as the Trump administration prepares a new package of sanctions against Iran and warns countries that continue providing Tehran with an economic lifeline. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on August 20 that Washington would impose what he called the “toughest sanctions in history,” with further details expected at a Treasury press conference on Monday, August 24. President Donald Trump has also threatened economic consequences for countries that continue supporting Iran. Reuters — U.S. sanctions strategy against Iran Iran has rejected the campaign and warned that additional pressure could provoke a severe response. At the same time, the sanctions threat is arriving while oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain heavily disrupted, Iranian crude exports are under pressure and financial markets are already reacting to elevated geopolitical and inflation risks. The result is a crisi...