Trump remains vague on sanctions plan for Iran’s partners

President Donald Trump remained ambiguous on Friday regarding his strategy to cripple Iran's economy, declining to disclose whether he intended to impose sanctions on Chinese banks or if he had conversed with foreign leaders on the subject. The administration unveiled Operation Economic Outcast earlier in the week, a plan to enforce stringent new sanctions on Iran's trading partners unless they severed their connections with Tehran.

However, the administration refrained from implementing any new measures, and thus far, has not identified any significant financial entities from China—Iran's foremost trading partner—as being under the purview of US sanctions. Trump reacted defensively when questioned about his lack of announcement of new sanctions on Chinese banks that engage in business with Tehran.

"Who declared I'm not? You don't know if I'm doing it," he stated. "I don't have to announce everything, do I?" Later, when asked which global leaders he had discussed the pressure campaign with, Trump implied it was not a topic of discussion, despite Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent having stated on Monday that Trump had been reaching out to foreign counterparts "with specific requests to cease their interactions with the regime."

On Thursday, Trump asserted that there was "not a lot to speak to." "We don't want to speak to them," he declared earlier that day. The article initially appeared on Egypt Independent.