Trump's "economic war" against Iran, Treasury Secretary Bessent issued a tough statement: "Any remaining tie to Tehran will hasten a nation's economic oblivion," regardless of whether such ties are intentionally built or deliberately ignored.
The "nation" referred to by Bessent is not Iran, but other countries that have connections with Iran.
There are numerous countries with political, economic, trade, commercial, and cultural ties to Iran—even some Gulf Arab states are included. The exceptions are few, such as Israel, which has no such connections.
Thus, the outcome is inevitable: other nations will collectively violate U.S. restrictions, while Trump will be unable to carry out his promised retaliatory sanctions.
Moreover, it seems Trump assumes Iranians won’t retaliate, and they’ll just surrender meekly.
From the perspective of economic warfare, severing ties and gradually draining resources isn't a knockout blow—it’s a strategy aimed at exhausting the opponent over time, before they recover their striking capacity. The most critical variable here is time.
Vance appears more sober and rational than Trump and Bessent.
He said, "Iran can endure American economic pressure for weeks, months, or even longer."
Economic warfare is a dagger, not a battleaxe. A dagger is used to stab and inflict bleeding, causing pain. But if the goal is to decapitate your opponent, choosing a dagger is the wrong weapon.
Vance acknowledged the importance of the time variable and admitted a hard truth: Iran can withstand severe economic pressure for months—can the U.S., and indeed the global economy, endure as long?
Moreover, Vance may significantly underestimate Iran’s resilience.
From another angle, Trump slowly disengaging from conflict in this way might not be a bad idea—projecting extreme toughness, being ignored by others, then declaring victory on his own terms.
Since the U.S. lacks the military capability to force Iran to submit, Iran’s retaliation will likely escalate militarily, turning it into a test of endurance—whose side can endure more?
Fasten your seatbelts.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874088177599562/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.