Washington moved on Wednesday to widen its pressure campaign against Iran, with US President Donald Trump announcing what he called the most far-reaching economic operation ever directed at a single country. He warned that any nation aiding Tehran would face consequences of its own.
In a social media post, Trump wrote that he was announcing the “MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY,” describing it as “Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale.”
The measure targets not only Iran but its trading partners. Trump warned that any country allowing its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide “any type of lifeline to Iran” would face what he termed tremendous economic consequences.
The announcement extends a campaign the administration has waged since April under the name Operation Economic Fury. That effort has sought to cut Iran off from international commerce through layered sanctions and restrictions on third-party trade.
The new threat broadens the reach of that policy by placing secondary pressure on governments and companies that continue dealings with Tehran. Such secondary measures aim to isolate a target economy by penalising outside actors who maintain ties to it.
The move follows months of escalation between Washington and Tehran. Earlier in the year, US and Israeli strikes on Iranian sites rattled energy markets and drew wide international concern. A subsequent pause in military action and talk of a possible agreement had briefly eased tensions.
Trump had at one stage halted a planned strike as a potential deal took shape, a step that sent oil prices lower. The latest declaration shifts the confrontation back toward economic tools rather than direct military action.
Iran depends heavily on oil exports and access to global banking channels, both of which have been constrained by successive rounds of sanctions. The threat of penalties against trading partners could complicate purchases by countries that have continued to import Iranian crude.
Neither the White House nor the US Treasury has published a detailed list of the specific sanctions or the entities covered by the expanded operation. The scope of enforcement against third countries also remains undefined in the public announcement.
Tehran has not issued a formal response to the announcement. Iranian officials have previously rejected US sanctions as illegitimate and vowed to continue exports through alternative channels.
Trump said the measures would take effect immediately, though implementing regulations and designations from federal agencies typically follow such declarations before enforcement begins.