U.S. Abandons Iran Deal’s 60-Day Deadline as War Shifts to Economic Pressure
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 16
U.S. Abandons Iran Deal’s 60-Day Deadline as War Shifts to Economic Pressure
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 16
Summary
Monday’s 60-day deadline for a broader U.S.-Iran deal is being dropped, with White House officials now treating the conflict as an open-ended contest of economic endurance.
No publicly reported U.S. strikes have hit Iranian targets since late July, but Iran has kept choking oil and gas shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, leaving a central June cease-fire goal unmet.
The new approach revives Trump-era economic isolation tactics, even as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has promised financial penalties "unlike any seen before" in the coming week.
June’s memorandum had offered Iran sanctions relief while postponing tougher nuclear issues, yet analysts say Tehran chose to escalate instead, underscoring doubts that pressure alone will curb its nuclear ambitions.