{
  "id": 3331848,
  "title": "USA truer Iran med «økonomisk D-dag»: – Da må de ofre litt",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/usa-truer-iran-med-konomisk-d-dag-da-ma-de-ofre-litt",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-25T19:24:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "E24 Norway",
    "slug": "e24-norway",
    "url": "https://e24.no/internasjonal-oekonomi/i/7p489v/usa-truer-iran-med-oekonomisk-d-dag-da-maa-de-ofre-litt"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Just over six months after the attacks on Iran began, the United States has threatened other nations with punitive actions if they continue to engage with the country. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced this on Monday, calling it an \"economic D-day\" and warning that \"we can sanction, but you have to sacrifice a little.\" While the US has the ability to impose sanctions, it will need to make sacrifices, according to Olav Chen, a representative from Storebrand. Except for China, the US has several options for imposing pressure, Chen noted.\n\nThe question is whether this is part of ongoing negotiations with Iran, which I still believe are ongoing, despite the intense pressure. I think it fits into the pattern of Trump's rhetoric when it comes to negotiations - issuing threats and then retracting them. Olje prices have fallen significantly on Tuesday, partly due to signals from Pakistan that talks with Iran have been diplomatic. Trump and the US no longer have the strongest hand in the Hormuz Strait dispute. Iran holds all the strongest cards, Chen believes, and most who monitor geopolitics agree.\n\nThe biggest uncertainty centers around China, which purchases approximately 90% of Iran's oil and imports much of its energy. The US may be willing to risk trade tensions with Beijing to follow through on its threats, according to Jeanette Fjære-Lindkjenn in DNB Carnegies morgenrapport. The last major trade war between the US and China ended last year after Trump visited Beijing in May. There are still unanswered questions about whether these new US moves will be sufficient to force Iran to relinquish control over the Hormuz Strait. Meanwhile, the risk of a larger conflict with China looms, as China is the largest buyer of Iranian oil and has shown little appetite to curb trade so far. Bessent was asked directly on Monday about whether the US is willing to appease major Chinese banks. There are no limits to what the US can sanction. If they facilitate transactions and are part of the ecosystem that converts Iranian oil into money, they will be targeted, the Treasury Secretary replied. Olav Chen points out that the US has already used much of its sanctioning power, and that further sanctions could conflict with China's policy of importing Iranian oil. Chen's hypothesis has been that even if the Hormuz Strait isn't completely open, China has been able to export oil from Iran through the US blockade. This is why oil prices have risen so much. Oil prices have surged since the war began, as shipping costs have been cut or severely limited in the vital Hormuz Strait. Yet, prices are lower than many analysts feared, especially given how long the conflict has lasted. At the same time, the next summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping approaches, scheduled for Washington D.C. on September 24th. A Congress vote in the US follows in early November. Chen doubts the US will \"rock the boat\" with China right away. He doesn't think Trump wants to go that far before the midterms, and that higher oil prices would not benefit him ahead of the election. He believes Trump still cares about gasoline prices. According to Bessent, the US is now launching \"an economic attack on Iran's financial connections worldwide.\" The aim is to cut all economic lifelines that support Tehran's tyrannical regime, according to Bessent. The Treasury Department is contacting governments around the world to demand immediate action. They plan to impose sanctions on nearly 60 individuals, entities, and ships believed to have ties to Iran, including shipping companies from China and Singapore. They also threaten to impose sanctions on actors involved in five different sectors of Iran's economy: shipping, aviation, technology, gold, and digital assets.",
  "summary": "USA tør neppe sette hardt mot hardt overfor Kina med det første, tror Olav Chen.",
  "key_points": [
    "United States threatens sanctions on nations engaging with Iran",
    "Olav Chen: sacrifices needed, China holds key influence",
    "September 24 summit and November vote may influence US strategy"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}