Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, said at a G20 meeting that Iran, because of what he described as the country’s “economic failure,” is attempting to compensate for the situation through military attacks.
Bessent also thanked the European Union for supporting what he called the U.S. “economic isolation operation” against Iran.
He said European countries had expressed their support for the operation in an “explicit and decisive” manner.
The United States recently announced that it had launched a campaign to “economically isolate” Iran and intended to target parties doing business with Iran through secondary sanctions.
The meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors, hosted by the United States, is taking place as military confrontation between Iran and the United States has intensified again following several weeks of relative calm.
Bessent went on to say that Iranian officials had taken U.S. sanctions “seriously,” adding that their impact could be seen in recent statements by Iranian officials.
He also claimed that long lines had formed at a number of gas stations in Iran, with people reportedly waiting three to four hours to obtain fuel.
The U.S. Treasury Secretary stressed that Washington would continue to exert economic pressure on Iran, but said the objective was not to bring about the collapse of Iran’s economy, but rather to change the approach of the Islamic Republic.
Bessent also said that, in his view, a “turning point” on this issue was approaching.
Following last night’s U.S. attack and Iran’s response, the United Arab Emirates has warned of the risk of further escalation in the region.
At the same time, concerns over the widening regional tensions have driven up oil prices in global markets.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
