Have We Lost the Iran War?
Has the United States lost the Iran war? The Iranian regime certainly thinks it has. The big Iranian funk that came after the 12-Day War in June, which climaxed the Israeli multi-front offensive...
Scott Bessent
Previewing the Trump-Xi Summit
Media Calls
Advice to Europe: “America hasn’t won, but Iran may be losing.”
*This article was originally published in French In Europe, and especially in France, the verdict seems to be in. The United States, we are told, has pursued a strategy toward Iran that is as brutal...
Op-eds
Inside Economic Warfare And The Fight To Dismantle Iran’s Financial Lifelines
Americans need to give sanctions a chance.
Op-eds
Trump’s New Iran Sanctions Put China on Notice
The administration moves beyond chasing shell companies and targets banks that help Tehran.
Op-eds
Oman can’t avoid Operation Economic Outcast
President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of American plans for the future of the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the threat, Iran and Oman announced that...
Op-eds
Operation Economic Outcast’s Success Depends on Aggressive, Sustained Enforcement
First there was the maximum pressure campaign during President Trump’s first term. Then came Operation Economic Fury in April 2026. Now, with Operation Economic Outcast, the Trump administration is launching...
Policy Briefs
Operation Economic Outcast is a recipe for success against Iran
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday launched what he called Operation Economic Outcast — a global campaign to shut down every last source of financial oxygen feeding a fractured rump...
Op-eds
Halting Trade With Iran Won’t Help UAE Combat Sanctions Evasion
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is moving to constrain Iran economically — but it is leaving a major source of regime revenue untouched. On August 18, following a series of high-level discussions with...
Policy Briefs
New White House Report Brings ‘Shadow Transshipment Network’ Into Spotlight
To prevail in a trade war against China, the United States needs enforcement tools that match its trade policy goals. On August 13, the White House released a report accusing more than 40 countries of...
Policy Briefs
China Rejects Overproduction Allegations Amidst Greater Trade Scrutiny
Beijing is laying the groundwork for Paramount Leader Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to Washington. On July 30, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with...
Policy Briefs
Iraq sanctions individuals and entities tied to Lebanese Hezbollah
On July 15, Iraq’s Ministry of Finance circulated a banking directive instructing ministries, state entities, and financial institutions to implement recent US Treasury Department sanctions...
Op-eds
Ceasefire Collapse Restores U.S. Leverage as Sanctions, Strikes Weaken Iran’s Hand
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran was meant to secure a 60-day ceasefire. Instead, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly attacked commercial vessels operating in...
Policy Briefs
US must halt the terror-driven gold rush that’s looting Venezuela
A human-rights horror is unfolding right under America’s nose, with kids under age 10 laboring in mines, girls as young as 12 working in brothels and whole communities fleeing cartel violence. Venezuela...
Op-eds
How double-dealing Oman threatens Trump’s Mideast peace
“Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up,” President Donald Trump declared Wednesday. An apparently shocking statement about a nation long regarded as...
Op-eds
Trump needs to shut down this key Iranian transit artery — ASAP
Iran’s corrupt economy is still bleeding; Washington has a narrow, perishable window to bring the regime to its knees. President Donald Trump has shown admirable resolve. His instinct...
Op-eds
U.S.-China Summit Underlines Stalemate Between Washington and Beijing
The United States and China remain stuck in a stalemate, but Beijing isn’t likely to be disappointed. President Trump and Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping convened in Beijing on May 14 to 15 to...
Policy Briefs
This Economic Weapon Is Worth Congress’s Attention
Currency swap lines are useful foreign-policy tools, but current law limits their availability.
Op-eds
China summit is Trump’s best chance to choke off Iran’s terror cash
A bombshell report this week laid bare a startling truth: Hong Kong is the lifeline for the Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies. Hong Kong-registered shell companies are funneling billions...