{"id":657199,"date":"2026-08-24T23:28:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T23:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=657199"},"modified":"2026-08-24T23:28:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T23:28:00","slug":"operation-economic-outcast-begins-bessent-warns-countries-helping-iran-face-expulsion-from-dollar-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=657199","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Operation Economic Outcast&#8221; Begins: Bessent Warns Countries Helping Iran Face Expulsion From Dollar System"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden\">&#8220;Operation Economic Outcast&#8221; Begins: Bessent Warns Countries Helping Iran Face Expulsion From Dollar System<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item\">\n<h2>Summary<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><u><strong><em>Bessent Unveils &#8220;Operation Economic Outcast&#8221; Against Iran\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/u><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Pakistan enters diplomatic push:<\/strong>\u00a0Pakistan&#8217;s army chief reportedly traveled to Tehran after Trump urged him to help reopen Iran talks.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Iran threatens new tanker action:<\/strong>\u00a0Tehran blacklisted 45 vessels and warned of further Hormuz attacks.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>US readies sweeping sanctions:<\/strong>\u00a0Bessent is preparing a sweeping economic offensive targeting Iran and its trading partners.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Rial collapses:<\/strong>\u00a0Iran&#8217;s currency hit a record low as inflation and economic pressures intensify.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Hormuz leverage in question:<\/strong>\u00a0Washington &amp; Western sources claim US-supervised shipping through the Oman corridor has surged 400%.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure aria-label=\"Polymarket prediction market: US x Iran diplomatic meeting by August 31, 2026?\" class=\"polymarket-embed\"><figcaption><strong>US x Iran diplomatic meeting by August 31, 2026?<\/strong><br \/>\nYes 2% \u00b7 No 98%<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/polymarket.com\/event\/next-round-of-us-iran-peace-talks-byptptpt-20260623022722982\">View full market &amp; trade on Polymarket <\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>*\u00a0 *\u00a0 *<\/p>\n<h2>Bessent Talks\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will hold a press conference at 1 p.m. to detail the latest sanctions plan against Iran, which he described to CNBC earlier as the greatest campaign of <b>&#8220;coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world.&#8221;<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Summary: US Treasury Sanctions Nearly 60 Iran-Linked Entities, Individuals And Vessels Across Nuclear, Missile, Cyber And Oil Networks:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><i><strong>Five sectors face potential secondary sanctions<\/strong>: digital assets, technology, gold, aviation and shipping.<\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><strong>Measures target brokerage networks and shadow-fleet vessels<\/strong> operating across the UAE, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Switzerland and Europe.<\/i><\/li>\n<li><i>Bessent <strong>warns that countries failing to take action &#8220;will be removed from the US dollar system.&#8221;<\/strong><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Bessent launched the Trump administration&#8217;s long-awaited &#8220;<strong>Operation Economic Outcast<\/strong>,&#8221; unveiling sweeping sanctions designed to <strong>sever Iran from the global financial dollar system<\/strong> and punish any foreign government or entity that continues facilitating Tehran&#8217;s trade.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>first wave of sanctions targets nearly 60 Iran-linked entities<\/strong>, individuals and vessels connected to the regime&#8217;s nuclear, missile, cyber and oil networks.<\/p>\n<p>The measures span a global web of brokerage companies, financial intermediaries and shadow-fleet vessels operating across <strong>China, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Switzerland and Europe<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;<u><strong>No one is above the reach of US sanctions<\/strong><\/u>,&#8221; Bessent warned during the press conference.<\/p>\n<p>Bessent made clear that Trump&#8217;s campaign extends well beyond Iran. Foreign companies dealing with Tehran now face an explicit choice: sever those ties or risk losing access to the US financial system.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bessent stopped just short of naming countries such as China&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>If others don&#8217;t act, Treasury will unilaterally act,<\/strong>&#8221; he said, adding that Washington &#8220;expects action&#8221; from other nations.<\/p>\n<p>Bessent added, &#8220;<strong>To those who enable Iran, don&#8217;t test US resolve<\/strong>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>obvious pressure point here is China<\/strong>, which remains the largest buyer of Iranian crude. Washington has previously sanctioned independent Chinese refiners and trading companies.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Live<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<h2>Trump asked Pakistan to Seek Diplomatic Reopening With Iran; Tehran Threatens More Hormuz Attacks<\/h2>\n<p>Just hours before the expected Bessent presser where he&#8217;s expected to threaten any countries doing business with Iran with severe secondar sanctions (while it remains clear major power like China and Russia won&#8217;t readily comply), Iran says it is prepared to attack more foreign tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthis are in the meantime targeting more Saudi vessels in the Red Sea region.<\/p>\n<p>Tehran announced it has<strong> blacklisted 45 tankers for violating its rules<\/strong> to cross Hormuz, while underscoring its intent to take action against future transits and any vessels transferring loads with them. It is demanding &#8216;fees&#8217; under the Oman-brokered management plan, which Washington has balked at. This comes as the US threatens Iran with &#8220;the toughest sanctions in history&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><em>Iranian response ahead of Bessent presser:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><a data-image-external-href=\"\" data-image-href=\"\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/ghstatement.jpg?itok=1jaFl5tU\" data-link-option=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/cms.zerohedge.com\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/ghstatement.jpg?itok=1jaFl5tU\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"51c50341-e1cf-4e2f-98a7-842bc199d7e9\" data-responsive-image-style=\"inline_images\" height=\"249\" width=\"500\" class=\"inline-images image-style-inline-images\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.zerohedge.com\/s3fs-public\/styles\/inline_image_mobile\/public\/inline-images\/ghstatement.jpg?itok=1jaFl5tU\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Also being reported by Monday late morning is that\u00a0Pakistan&#8217;s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, held a phone call with President Trump last week wherein the US leader <strong>reportedly asked for negotiations with Iran to be opened back up<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Munir has <strong>newly arrived in Tehran for talks with Iranian officials<\/strong>, according Tasnim news agency, in what&#8217;s clearly ongoing shuttle diplomacy (very indirect, it seems)&#8230; amid hopes that future talks could be salvaged.<\/p>\n<h2>Big Bessent Iran Presser Set for 2 pm<\/h2>\n<p>In the coming hours, the Trump administration is expected to unveil a sweeping campaign to economically isolate Iran and its trading partners, with China likely the primary target. The escalation is designed to force Tehran back to the negotiating table, as its only leverage &#8211; the Strait of Hormuz &#8211; appears to be quickly eroding. Commercial ships are now transiting the newly opened, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zerohedge.com\/energy\/axios-40-tankers-transited-hormuz-friday-night-real-crisis-diesel\">US military-supervised shipping corridor off Oman<\/a>, raising the possibility that Iran has partially lost control of the critical waterway.<\/p>\n<p><a data-image-external-href=\"\" data-image-href=\"\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/2026-08-23_08-26-45.png?itok=vqJvaB2N\" data-link-option=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/cms.zerohedge.com\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/2026-08-23_08-26-45.png?itok=vqJvaB2N\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"fd17bf18-a447-414e-b18c-96fe76ee93a9\" data-responsive-image-style=\"inline_images\" height=\"303\" width=\"500\" class=\"inline-images image-style-inline-images\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.zerohedge.com\/s3fs-public\/styles\/inline_image_mobile\/public\/inline-images\/2026-08-23_08-26-45.png?itok=vqJvaB2N\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that he would hold a <strong>press conference on Monday to &#8220;talk about exactly what we&#8217;re going to do&#8221; regarding an economic war against Tehran.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Economic pressure means that we are going to all of our allies, and this is going to be the greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world, and we are going to them and saying, &#8216;You are either with us or against us,'&#8221; Bessent said.<\/p>\n<h2>Bessent Claims &#8216;End Game&#8217; &#8211; Tehran Differs<\/h2>\n<p>Late Sunday, Bessent wrote on X: &#8220;<strong>We are now entering the endgame<\/strong>. At dawn begins an economic D-Day, the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a data-image-external-href=\"\" data-image-href=\"\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/bessent_0.png?itok=Z2EqNA4D\" data-link-option=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/cms.zerohedge.com\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/bessent_0.png?itok=Z2EqNA4D\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"6a3bc58a-a702-46f8-bec2-fd414459855e\" data-responsive-image-style=\"inline_images\" height=\"281\" width=\"500\" class=\"inline-images image-style-inline-images\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.zerohedge.com\/s3fs-public\/styles\/inline_image_mobile\/public\/inline-images\/bessent_0.png?itok=Z2EqNA4D\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;President Trump has dismantled Iran&#8217;s military capabilities, destroyed nearly 100 percent of its military factories, and buried its nuclear program,&#8221; Bessent continued.<\/p>\n<p>He noted, &#8220;The Islamic Republic has subsisted by dressing extortion as security guarantees. It has drawn strength from a calculus that regards Iranian retaliation as certain and American enforcement as negotiable. Under President Trump, that era is over. And those who fear the danger of defying Tehran ought not to discount the cost of testing Washington.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\" xml:lang=\"en\">President Trump has dismantled Iran\u2019s military capabilities, destroyed nearly 100 percent of its military factories, and buried its nuclear program.<\/p>\n<p>We are now entering the endgame. At dawn begins an economic D-Day \u2014 the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SecScottBessent\/status\/2091664440785502582?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 23, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Rial Record Low<\/h2>\n<p><strong>In markets, Iran&#8217;s currency tumbled to a record low. The rial dropped to about 2.02 million per US dollar on the open market <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bonbast.com\/\"><em>(bonbast.com)<\/em><\/a><strong>, compared with the central bank&#8217;s official rate of roughly 1.5 million<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a data-image-external-href=\"\" data-image-href=\"\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/2026-08-24_04-27-03.jpg?itok=IBg3UVSG\" data-link-option=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/cms.zerohedge.com\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/2026-08-24_04-27-03.jpg?itok=IBg3UVSG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"7c0f89ae-4c63-4be4-b8b5-8463e958de0f\" data-responsive-image-style=\"inline_images\" height=\"287\" width=\"500\" class=\"inline-images image-style-inline-images\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.zerohedge.com\/s3fs-public\/styles\/inline_image_mobile\/public\/inline-images\/2026-08-24_04-27-03.jpg?itok=IBg3UVSG\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Even before the US and Israel operation to neuter Iran&#8217;s offensive capabilities on\u00a0Feb. 28, the\u00a0rial had been under pressure, coupled with\u00a0persistent double-digit inflation and economic turmoil. Economic conditions have worsened since the US Navy&#8217;s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted\u00a0trade and government revenue.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The economic shock is increasingly visible across\u00a0household prices. <strong>Rice has jumped 60% in just a few months, while beef prices have soared by 150%.\u00a0The International Monetary Fund forecasts a 5% contraction in Iran&#8217;s economy<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned of\u00a0mounting economic pressure on Tehran,\u00a0while cautioning against &#8220;humiliatingly&#8221; backing down &#8220;before the enemy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Truth Social: Iran is Completely Collapsing<\/h2>\n<p><em>Trump posts this short statement on Monday, saying&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><a data-image-external-href=\"\" data-image-href=\"\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/trumptsirannew.jpg?itok=PuePAVGS\" data-link-option=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/cms.zerohedge.com\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/trumptsirannew.jpg?itok=PuePAVGS\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"08e21ec9-cc9c-4788-820f-da59501d20a0\" data-responsive-image-style=\"inline_images\" height=\"112\" width=\"500\" class=\"inline-images image-style-inline-images\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.zerohedge.com\/s3fs-public\/styles\/inline_image_mobile\/public\/inline-images\/trumptsirannew.jpg?itok=PuePAVGS\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>BUT&#8230; the US has fallen back to merely economic war and sanctions measures, after this:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\" xml:lang=\"en\">Retired US four-star general coming to the same conclusion btw <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4Aphu9PoDL\">https:\/\/t.co\/4Aphu9PoDL<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jwyZqKnuRk\">pic.twitter.com\/jwyZqKnuRk<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 dart (@poordart) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/poordart\/status\/2091682852350120359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 24, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;The war must come to an end at some point,&#8221; Pezeshkian emphasized in a speech\u00a0quoted by state media. &#8220;It is better that we demonstrate our strength and dignity today and tell the world that we have won and that we are ending the war.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Tehran&#8217;s leverage over the critical waterway eroded last week as new data over the weekend showed that commercial transits through the US military-supervised Oman shipping corridor surged 400%. Trump has declared the Strait of Hormuz &#8220;an American territory.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>      <span class=\"field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden\"><a title=\"View user profile.\" href=\"https:\/\/cms.zerohedge.com\/users\/tyler-durden\" lang=\"\" class=\"username\" xml:lang=\"\">Tyler Durden<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden\">Mon, 08\/24\/2026 &#8211; 19:28<\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.zerohedge.com\/s3fs-public\/styles\/inline_image_mobile\/public\/inline-images\/ghstatement.jpg?itok=1jaFl5tU\" title=\"\" \/><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Operation Economic Outcast&#8221; Begins: Bessent Warns Countries Helping Iran Face Expulsion From Dollar System Summary Bessent Unveils &#8220;Operation Economic Outcast&#8221; Against Iran\u00a0 Pakistan enters diplomatic push:\u00a0Pakistan&#8217;s army chief reportedly traveled to Tehran after Trump urged him to help reopen Iran talks. Iran threatens new tanker action:\u00a0Tehran blacklisted 45 vessels and warned of further Hormuz attacks.&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=657199\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">&#8220;Operation Economic Outcast&#8221; Begins: Bessent Warns Countries Helping Iran Face Expulsion From Dollar System<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":657200,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[18,19,10,21,12,11,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-657199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cancel-culture","category-censorship","category-civil-liberties","category-election-integrity","category-equal-justice","category-free-speech","category-religious-freedom","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=657199"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657199\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/657200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=657199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=657199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=657199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}