World News Today Live Updates: US announces new sanctions on Iran, warns Tehran trade partners

The United States has introduced a comprehensive set of new sanctions against Iran, with the aim of severing all financial connections to the country's government. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the move, and President Trump has urged US allies to support the measures. Iran has responded with a defiant stance, warning of severe repercussions if Washington persists with the pressure, including threats to halt Gulf oil exports and declaring that any nation backing the sanctions could be considered an act of war.

The Pentagon has also indicated that military options remain a possibility. The sanctions target five key sectors - digital assets, technology, gold, aviation, shipping, Iran's oil revenue, and around 60 entities, vessels, and individuals linked to sustaining the regime. Iranian officials maintain that their government will navigate the impending economic challenges, while the country's security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, threatened to cease all Gulf oil exports if the US economic campaign persists.

He also stated that any country supporting Washington's sanctions would be treated as participating in an act of war against Iran. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth affirmed that Washington has not dismissed the possibility of military strikes against Iran, either in the Strait of Hormuz or elsewhere in the region.