The United States is preparing a new round of economic measures against Iran that officials describe as more severe than previous efforts, while Iranian leaders acknowledge mounting financial pressures after nearly six months of conflict.
The developments come as the 60-day interim understanding between the two sides has expired without a broader agreement, and reports indicate rising hardship for ordinary Iranians.
Trump Signals Increased Economic Pressure
President Donald Trump has made clear in recent days that the United States intends to intensify financial pressure on Tehran.
The U.S. is prepared to “hit Iran hard economically,” he said.
Washington has repeatedly pointed to Iran’s difficulties, stating that the country has “huge inflation and the fact they have no money,” and on another occasion describing Iran as “broke, completely broke.”
🇺🇸🇮🇷 Sec. Bessent laid out how the U.S. is trying to financially dismantle the Iranian regime.
He said they’ve been going after Iranian bank accounts, crypto wallets and assets around the world.
One of the country’s largest banks already collapsed, forcing the central bank to…
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 18, 2026
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reinforced the message. In interviews, including with Newsmax, Bessent said Washington would apply measures amounting to a “combination of economic isolation like the world has never seen before,” with announcements possibly coming as early as the following week.
U.S. officials have referred to the broader campaign as “Operation Economic Fury,” combining existing sanctions, a naval blockade of Iranian ports, and new restrictions targeting oil trade, shadow banking networks, and related financial channels.
The approach reflects a pivot after months of military operations. With the interim memorandum of understanding having lapsed, the administration is betting that deeper economic isolation, rather than immediate further strikes, will force concessions on issues including the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.
Iranian President Acknowledges Worsening Conditions
According to Al-Jazeera Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has publicly described the economic impact of the conflict and related restrictions.
In remarks carried by Iranian media last week, Pezeshkian said: “Our problems have multiplied several times over, while our income has also fallen.”
He explained that Iran can no longer sell oil at previous levels and that damage to factories has reduced tax revenues.
“We could sell oil, and now we can’t. They have also struck and destroyed some of our factories, so we can’t levy taxes in the same way either. We must also pay them so they can stay up and running and the wheels of the economy can spin,” Pezeshkian stated.
Imported goods that once arrived by direct sea routes now travel longer and more expensive paths, driving up prices, according to the president.
Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has also addressed the situation, warning that adversaries are shifting to economic warfare and calling for tighter market supervision against overpricing and hoarding.
He said prices have reached a “disturbing level.”
Internal Concerns Over Unrest
Even as Iranian officials project resilience after withstanding the conflict and restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, senior figures are concerned that additional U.S. measures could deepen hardships, reignite protests, and further damage the government’s legitimacy, according to a Reuters report based on conversations with three Iranian officials and a dozen ordinary citizens.
“I’m so sick and tired of everything.”
Millions of Iranians struggle to make ends meet as months-long US-Israeli war on Iran devastates the economy and sends prices soaring https://t.co/iSZH8Heuad pic.twitter.com/DRCuHL7Hl0
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) August 16, 2026
Nationwide unrest is viewed as a possible outcome if conditions deteriorate further. Iran’s annual inflation reached approximately 66 percent in July, with consumer prices 87.9 percent higher than a year earlier and food inflation at 128 percent year-on-year, according to Iran’s Statistical Center.
The U.S. naval blockade has sharply reduced oil exports and complicated gasoline supplies. Lawmakers have noted that domestic gasoline production is running near capacity while demand exceeds it, adding to shortages and price pressures.
Path Forward Remains Uncertain
The combination of threatened new U.S. sanctions, Iran’s acknowledged revenue losses and inflation, and warnings of possible domestic instability leaves both sides calculating their next steps.
Tehran has indicated it may escalate in the Strait of Hormuz if key demands linked to the interim understanding are not met, while the United States continues to insist on free passage through the waterway and limits on Iran’s nuclear activities.
Analysts and officials on both sides note that economic pressure has been a long-standing tool in U.S.-Iran relations, yet the current combination of war damage, blockade, and the prospect of tighter measures is testing Iran’s capacity to absorb further strain.
Kiran Asim is a writer who covers the U.S., Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East. Her reports and analyses look at the geostrategic issues and contemporary developments and their economic and political implications. She also writes about society and education.
