Long queues formed at petrol stations in Tehran on Tuesday following the United States' announcement of fresh sanctions designed to pressure Iran into submission. The move comes six months into a war that has reached a military stalemate, with peace talks stalled and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz significantly blocked.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on Monday that the objective of the new measures is to "sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime." While Iranian leaders have largely dismissed the sanctions, citing decades of previous measures, some residents of the capital expressed concern about the potential impact on their daily lives.
"Naturally, sanctions affect people's lives. People are being hurt, both those who are financially well-off and those who are financially weak," said Mehdi Yazdian, a 55-year-old realtor, urging authorities to control prices. "Yes, these sanctions are having an effect, but naturally, our people are resilient. These sanctions have been in place for 47 years."
Iran had been contending with high inflation prior to the current conflict, which fueled an anti-government protest movement that peaked in January. Foreign rights groups reported that authorities met the protests with a crackdown that resulted in thousands of deaths, which the government attributed to "terrorist acts" orchestrated by the United States and Israel.
English teacher Kia Farahani, 45, suggested that similar unrest could follow. "I personally am not afraid of war at all because this is our land," she said. "But I think that this war will be more economic and will cause people to feel a lot of pressure, and now maybe there will be protests again."
In response to Iran's recent executions related to the winter protests, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday, "The failing Islamic Republic of Iran is not paying large segments of their military, while at the same time killing protesters, even when they are not protesting, at levels not seen before. It is a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions, and must be stopped, NOW."
Bessent announced that countries not supporting the U.S. economic campaign would "share in the isolation" of Iran, adding that Trump was contacting world leaders to request they halt interactions with Tehran. The Treasury Department indicated that expanded secondary sanctions would target Iran's digital assets and its technology, gold, aviation, and shipping sectors. New sanctions were also imposed on 60 individuals, companies, and vessels accused of aiding Iran in oil revenue generation, weapons procurement, and cyber operations. These entities are located in various regions, including the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, and Europe.
China, a significant purchaser of Iranian oil, stated on Tuesday that it opposes the sanctions and intends to "take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its own rights and interests." Bessent did not rule out targeting Chinese banks and vowed that any entity facilitating money laundering for Iran would be removed from the U.S. dollar system.
Iranian Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh dismissed the U.S. threat, predicting "another defeat" for Washington. "We've been waiting for these plans for a long time, and the government is and was ready and has a two-year plan to manage these events," he said.
Economic expert Saeed Laylaz noted that the new U.S. measures align with Trump's previous "maximum pressure" approach. "In general, the United States of America has nothing that it can do that had not done before," Laylaz stated, observing that years of isolation have made Iran's economy largely self-sufficient. However, he expressed doubts about the Iranian government's internal capacity and preparedness to manage economic issues such as corruption, banking imbalances, inflation, and timely financial and monetary policies.