Updated
Updated · South China Morning Post · Aug 23
Iran May Launch Gulf Strikes as Trump Prepares Monday Sanctions Push
Updated
Updated · South China Morning Post · Aug 23

Iran May Launch Gulf Strikes as Trump Prepares Monday Sanctions Push

3 articles · Updated · South China Morning Post · Aug 23

Summary

  • Monday’s planned US economic offensive against Iran is expected to trigger fresh Iranian military retaliation across the Gulf, including possible attacks on energy infrastructure.
  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is due to unveil measures combining new sanctions, a naval blockade and pressure on Iran’s trading partners to shift the conflict toward broader economic isolation.
  • Analysts say Tehran could answer by trying to drive up oil prices and raise the cost of the US campaign, betting that higher economic pain will force Trump to change course again.
  • Since the February 28 US-Israeli attacks, Iran has absorbed strikes on thousands of targets, sanctions and a US naval blockade while still showing it can hit back through the Revolutionary Guard and Gulf drone attacks.

Insights

As the US targets global banks to choke Iranian oil trade, could this risky financial warfare backfire on the world economy?
Will Trump's unprecedented economic blockade force Iran to surrender, or trigger a catastrophic spike in global oil prices?
With millions of barrels already smuggled out, is America's toughest sanction campaign against Iran doomed to fail before it begins?