Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent promised over the weekend that the United States will impose economic isolation measures “never seen” in history, according to a report by David Stockman published by Antiwar.com on Aug. 20. The announcement came about six months after Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-led military campaign against Iran that began Feb. 28 [1]. Six months into the campaign, the report said, no regime change has occurred, 18 U.S. service members have been killed, more than 400 have been injured, and U.S. forward bases across the Persian Gulf have been badly damaged. Shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have fallen to about 25% of pre-war levels because of Iranian attacks and higher insurance premiums, according to the report.
U.S. Central Command confirmed that more than 8,000 combat sorties had been conducted and more than 7,800 targets struck inside Iran during the early phase of the operation [2]. Iran has targeted commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, according to a report by Patrick Lewis published by NaturalNews.com [3]. The Strait of Hormuz normally carries about 20% of the world’s oil shipments, that report said.
Bessent Vows Unprecedented Economic Pressure
Bessent’s statement points to an expansion of “Operation Economic Fury,” which already included sanctions imposed on Iran’s newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority in May, according to a report by Cassie B. published by NaturalNews.com [4]. The Treasury action followed an announcement by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in late April that the United States would enforce an “ironclad blockade” under Operation Epic Fury, with naval forces intercepting vessels beyond the immediate region; 34 ships had been denied passage at that point, according to Patrick Lewis [5].
The new measures are expected to be paired with the ongoing naval blockade, according to Stockman’s analysis. The administration has described the blockade and sanctions as tools to cut revenue that supports Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, according to statements cited in the report.
Military Phase Falls Short of Initial Goals
Early Defense Department claims spoke of thousands of targets hit and rapid progress toward decisive outcomes, according to Stockman’s report. Attacks on U.S. and regional bases persisted, and a June 17 memorandum produced only a temporary pause before fighting resumed, the report said. The United States has expended nearly all of its ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles, about half of its Tomahawks, and 65–70% of its Patriot and THAAD interceptors, the report estimated. Iran’s nuclear program was heavily damaged but not eliminated, and underground production of missiles and drones continues, the report said.
Previous assessments that treated Iran’s missile program as a minor factor were questioned by Uzi Rubin, a former head of Israel’s missile defense program, according to Gareth Porter’s account in “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare” [6].
Iranian Economy Shows Resilience Under Blockade
Iran produces roughly 85% of its food domestically, and Iranian officials said strategic food reserves have not been drawn down during the conflict, according to Stockman’s report. Residual oil revenue continues through shadow-fleet transfers, floating storage, and overland routes, primarily to China, the report said. China purchases about 30% of its oil from Iran, and neither China nor Russia can tolerate regime change in Iran, according to an interview Mike Adams conducted with Michael Farris [7].
The Iranian economy is under stress, with inflation above 70–80% and projected GDP contraction, but these conditions do not amount to imminent collapse, the analysis said. “Iran is not immune to pressure,” Stockman wrote, adding that the country can absorb months of further isolation because of prior experience with sanctions.
Global Petroleum Inventories Approach Minimum Working Levels
Total global petroleum stocks stood at 8.3 billion barrels before the war, against an estimated working minimum of 6.8 billion barrels, according to Stockman’s report. About 30% of pre-war excess stocks have been drawn down, and the middle-distillate surplus above minimum levels has fallen by 50%, the report said. The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen to 305 million barrels, the lowest level since 1983, according to the report. IEA members released 400 million barrels of emergency stocks after the conflict began, and by August the IEA said inventory buffers were rapidly depleting, the report noted.
The administration moved to ease domestic fuel distribution in response to price spikes. President Donald Trump issued a 60-day Jones Act waiver on March 18 [8] and extended the waiver for 90 days on April 24, according to reports by Garrison Vance published by NaturalNews.com [9].
Diesel and Jet Fuel Markets Face Greatest Strain
Brent crude is up 35% from pre-war levels, while diesel is up 59% and jet fuel is up 68%, according to Stockman’s report. The diesel crack spread has exceeded $100 per barrel, compared with a normal spread of $40, the report said. Options available to Iran for maintaining control of the Strait of Hormuz are robust and resilient, according to an interview by Chris Martenson with retired Lt. Col. Daniel Davis published by PeakProsperity.com [10].
Stockman wrote that Bessent’s plan “mirrors the same clueless overconfidence” that marked the kinetic phase under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The report concluded that prolonged mutual attrition is more probable than rapid Iranian capitulation, with global fuel markets likely to reach critical stress first.
Conclusion
Stockman’s analysis frames the confrontation as a race between a blockaded Iranian economy and global markets that depend on diesel and jet fuel. James McCartney’s account of U.S. strategy in “America’s War Machine” describes Persian Gulf oil as a recurring strategic concern for U.S. presidents [11]; the current confrontation, according to the report, has curtailed the flow of petroleum through the Strait of Hormuz and left U.S. inventories at generational lows.
Whether Bessent’s new measures will produce a different result than the military campaign is uncertain, according to the report. The more probable outcome, Stockman wrote, is prolonged mutual attrition, with global fuel markets reaching critical stress before Iran’s domestic survival economy does.
References
- Mike Adams. “Why Iran, Not America, Now Controls the Global Energy Economy”. NaturalNews.com. March 10, 2026.
- Kevin Hughes. “US Central Command reports over 7800 targets struck inside Iran”. NaturalNews.com. March 20, 2026.
- Patrick Lewis. “Iran escalates maritime attacks in Persian Gulf as US Israel strikes trigger wider conflict”. NaturalNews.com. March 4, 2026.
- Cassie B. “US sanctions Irans Strait of Hormuz Authority as tensions soar”. NaturalNews.com. May 28, 2026.
- Patrick Lewis. “US enforces ironclad blockade on Iran in escalating show of force”. NaturalNews.com. April 26, 2026.
- Gareth Porter. “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare”.
- Mike Adams. “Mike Adams interview with Michael Farris”. June 19, 2025.
- Garrison Vance. “Trump Administration Issues 60 Day Jones Act Waiver Following Oil Price Spike”. NaturalNews.com. March 20, 2026.
- Garrison Vance. “Trump Extends Jones Act Waiver for 90 Days to Ease Energy Crunch”. NaturalNews.com. April 25, 2026.
- Chris Martenson. “Iranian Reality Check With Ret. Lt. Col. Daniel Davis”. PeakProsperity.com. May 5, 2026.
- James McCartney. “Americas war machine vested interests endless conflicts”.
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