US Expands Iran Sanctions with Timelines

The United States has launched Operation Economic Outcast, a broad campaign to economically isolate Iran by targeting five lifelines—digital assets, technology, gold, aviation, and shipping—and sanctioning more than 60 entities, individuals, and vessels. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent describes it as an unprecedented economic onslaught designed to sever Iran’s financial networks and compel global partners to sever ties or face U.S. sanctions, with a zero-leakage approach. The plan includes defined deadlines for major partner countries to halt identified activities and warns of unilateral U.S. measures if timelines are not met. President Trump and his administration have been pressing allied governments, signaling a shift from military pressure to economic coercion six months into the conflict. Analysts and former officials, including Pompeo, frame the move as a decisive test of Iran’s willingness to accept isolation or return to the global economy, noting potential impacts on global financial flows and Tehran’s strategic calculus. The core message remains a sustained, globally coordinated effort to cut off Iran’s revenue streams and compel Tehran’s decisive choice.