US Delays Economic D-Day Operation, Threatens Countries with Iran Ties
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has delayed the Economic D-Day operation that was said would bring down Iran. Even so, he threatened countries that still maintain economic relations with Iran.
As reported by CNN on Tuesday (25/8/2026), although Bessent had previously promised an Economic D-Day for Iran, the US is currently still postponing the implementation of the largest sanctions that had previously been threatened.
Instead, the US government stated it would work with partners around the world to stop their activities related to Iran.
He threatened to impose new sanctions with a major impact on countries that refuse to sever economic relations with Iran, even though it has not yet actually implemented such large-scale punishment.
“We assess that the best way to engage with other countries is through quiet diplomacy, and we are aligning perceptions with every country to convey our expectations,” said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “We know who they are. They also know who they are.”
In a new effort to increase pressure on Tehran, the Donald Trump administration said on Monday that it had expanded the category of “Iran-related activities” that could be subject to US sanctions in the future.
The US government also plans to give specific deadlines to certain countries to end their relations with the Iranian regime.
The new sanctions include penalties against various sectors, such as digital assets, technology, and shipping, which according to the US Treasury Department Iran has relied on to sustain its economy.
Bessent defended the decision to delay the implementation of heavy sanctions targeting countries with economic ties to Iran. He called the previously announced Economic D-Day a “warning shot”.
“We believe that giving a warning shot and aligning perceptions regarding expectations is the right step,” Bessent told CNN’s Kevin Liptak in a press conference.
According to him, the US is “giving all parties an opportunity to correct bad behaviour,” while adding that imposing sanctions directly without prior warning could “destroy the global financial system.”
Bessent added: “We believe it is important to align perceptions and provide a correction period for these parties, but they must know that the process will move very quickly and we are serious.”
The US threatened to impose sanctions on countries that have economic relations with Iran. Each country is given “a predetermined deadline to stop Iran-related activities” that have been identified by the US, according to an official statement from the US Treasury Department.