US Treasury Secretary vows to 'squash' Iranian economy, collapse 'murderous regime'

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared the United States' intention to "collapse" the Iranian regime and "squash" its economy, warning that any allies continuing business with Tehran would face the full force of U.S. Treasury enforcement. Bessent's strong remarks, made in a CNBC interview, align with President Donald Trump's recent pronouncements of an "ECONOMIC D-DAY" for Iran.

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We are going to collapse this [the Iranian] regime.

Bessent announced that a press conference scheduled for Monday would reveal the specifics of the intensified economic pressure. He emphasized that American allies engaging in transactions with Iran, whether through money transfers or oil purchases, would be targeted. "Then the US Treasury and the US government, they will put its full might and force toward enforcing against you," Bessent stated.

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You are either with us or against us, we are going to squash the economy of this murderous regime.

He further asserted that the U.S. controls the Strait of Hormuz and suggested that oil markets are misjudging the impact of these economic sanctions. Bessent described the strategy as a "one-two punch" involving a blockade and the "toughest sanctions in history," drawing parallels to the situations in Venezuela and Cuba. "And I will tell you, this will work. It worked in Venezuela once we put up the blockade. It is working in Cuba right now. And it is going to work in Iran, and we are going to collapse this regime," he said.

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Then the US Treasury and the US government, they will put its full might and force toward enforcing against you.

Trump had previously warned on social media of "Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale" against any nation providing a "lifeline to Iran." Bessent's comments reinforce this aggressive stance, signaling a coordinated global economic isolation aimed at crippling Iran's economy and forcing regime change.

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I see lots of reports that said, 'oh, well, this has never worked.' It does work, because we have a combination. It is a one-two punch.