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3. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: “We Are Strangling the Regime”

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on Sunday that Washington has intensified its crackdown on all entities attempting to financially support Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He stressed that the United States is “strangling the Iranian regime” economically, claiming that Tehran is now struggling to pay its soldiers’ salaries.

Speaking on Fox News, Bessent explained that the U.S. strategy relies on unprecedented financial pressure, supported by regional cooperation. He noted that several Gulf countries have provided key intelligence, enabling Washington to freeze assets linked to Iran.

The Secretary further added that Iran had “miscalculated” when it escalated militarily against its Gulf neighbors. According to him, this move prompted those countries to align more closely with the United States, thereby strengthening the effectiveness of sanctions and financial enforcement measures.

Regarding global energy markets, Bessent said that oil prices—currently rising amid tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran—are expected to decline later this year. “On the other side of this conflict, oil prices are going to be much lower,” he said.

He also foreshadowed that Iran may soon be forced to scale back its oil production, possibly as early as next week, due to rapidly filling storage facilities. This situation, he argued, is a direct result of the U.S. naval blockade restricting Iran’s ability to export crude oil.

These remarks come as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate, with the United States increasingly relying on financial and economic tools to weaken Iran’s military capabilities and internal stability.