Trump: Iran Will Face 'Most Crushing Economic Operation' Ever

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced what he called the “most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country,” warning that nations, financial institutions, and businesses that help Iran could face severe economic consequences.

“I AM ANNOUNCING THE MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY,” Trump said in a Truth Social post, according to Reuters.

Trump said the effort would amount to an “ECONOMIC D-DAY” and warned countries against providing Iran with a financial lifeline.

“I am also announcing that any country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, etc. to provide any lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences,” Trump said, according to Reuters.

Trump did not immediately provide details about the measures he was announcing.

The administration said it was prepared to intensify its economic pressure campaign against Tehran.

Newsmax reported on Wednesday, citing CNN, that Trump was moving away from seeking a quick resolution to the war and toward a more deliberate strategy of sustained economic pressure on Iran.

That strategy could include additional sanctions on Iranian oil networks and financial channels, as well as pressure on foreign companies and banks that continue doing business with Tehran.

Reuters reported Sunday that Trump had vowed to hit Iran hard economically after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would impose measures against Tehran that had “never been seen” as soon as the following week.

Reuters reported that the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed sanctions on more than 1,000 people, vessels, and aircraft since Trump began his second term.

Recent U.S. measures have targeted Iran's oil network, shipping insurers, entities involved in weapons procurement, and digital exchanges, according to Reuters.

Reuters also reported that the administration could impose additional sanctions on Chinese “teapot” refineries that buy Iranian oil or on Chinese financial institutions involved in processing Iranian funds.

China buys more than 80% of Iran's shipped oil, according to 2025 data from analytics firm Kpler cited by Reuters, making Chinese companies a potentially important target for any expanded pressure campaign.

Trump has previously said he could either allow Iran's economy to deteriorate or “hit them really, really hard,” according to Reuters.

In an Aug. 11 interview, Trump said Iran was already suffering economically and that the United States had control over Iranian assets that had been frozen.

The administration's economic pressure comes as Iran faces significant domestic economic difficulties.

Reuters reported Monday that Iran entered the war with high inflation, a weakening currency, energy shortages and structural economic problems and is now dealing with damaged infrastructure, disrupted trade, and lost production.

Iran's annual inflation rate reached 66% in July, while consumer prices were 87.9% higher than a year earlier, according to Iran's Statistical Centre, Reuters reported.

Trump has repeatedly made preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon a central objective of his policy toward Tehran.

His latest announcement indicates that economic pressure is likely to remain a major component of the administration's strategy, with the potential for U.S. action to extend beyond Iran to foreign banks, businesses and governments that help keep Tehran's economy functioning.

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