Washington signaled it will ramp up economic and military pressure on Tehran, dashing hopes of any imminent respite to the conflict. The US Treasury secretary said he would soon unveil restrictions “that have never been seen,” while the country’s defense chief insisted a naval blockade could be maintained “indefinitely.”
Yet signs of strain are apparent: The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington will dispatch an aircraft carrier to relieve one that spent a record number of consecutive days at sea. The White House’s growing focus on economic measures against Iran signals a return to a strategy deployed in the president’s first term, Bloomberg noted, reflecting “a marked pivot for an administration that has repeatedly threatened a stepped up military campaign.”