US plans weekly sanctions against Iran
Translated from Malay and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
At a glance
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington could announce new secondary sanctions against Iran every week, beginning with banks accused of helping Tehran access international finance.
- The announcement followed renewed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, reported attacks involving US and Iranian forces, and concerns over maritime security and energy supplies.
- President Donald Trump claimed Iranโs Kharg Island energy hub had been destroyed, but the account provided no independent evidence and included an AI-generated video clip.
Washington is preparing a potentially regular campaign of sanctions against Iran as tensions in and around the Strait of Hormuz rise again. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States could announce new secondary measures each week, starting with banks accused of helping Iran access the international financial system.
โWe are starting with banks, and we are telling them they cannot receive Iranian money or help that regime,โ Bessent told Reuters before a meeting of G20 financial leaders. โYou will see more actions like this every week.โ
We are starting with banks, and we are telling them they cannot receive Iranian money or help that regime.
The United States recently sanctioned the UAE branch of Egyptโs Banque Misr over alleged financial links to Iran. Bessent said future measures could go further by cutting an institution off entirely from the dollar-based financial system.
You will see more actions like this every week.
The renewed pressure coincides with sharper military rhetoric. President Donald Trump said in a social-media post that the energy hub on Iranโs Kharg Island was โblown to pieces,โ alongside a video generated by artificial intelligence. No other evidence indicated that the facility had come under attack, and the White House and US Defense Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Kharg handled 90% of Iranโs oil exports before the war began on February 28, according to the report. Any attack there would severely disrupt Iranโs energy trade and put heavy pressure on its economy. The US military also said it had struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, while Iranian media reported attacks on two US bases in Jordan and the UAE. Larak lies about 660 kilometers east of Kharg and sits near shipping routes at the entrance to the Gulf.
Kharg Island is being blown to pieces!!! President DJT.
Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.