{
  "id": 6284640,
  "title": "Can Iran really wage an economic war on the US?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/can-iran-really-wage-an-economic-war-on-the-us",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-08T14:12:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/economy/2026/09/08/can-iran-really-wage-an-economic-war-on-the-us/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Experts believe that Iran's threat of an economic war against the US is mostly symbolic, as Tehran lacks the financial tools to directly cripple the world's largest economy. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned about maritime exclusion zones that could disrupt US shipping. However, Iran's financial arsenal is limited. Eckart Woertz, director of the Giga Institute for Middle East Studies, explained that Iran does not control vital global infrastructure like payment systems, which could be weaponised by sanctions. Instead, Iran's disruptive power lies in the disruption of key areas like the Strait of Hormuz and maritime security in the Red Sea, which can have significant effects. The recent attack by the Houthis on Saudi Arabian facilities resulted in civilian casualties and oil facility damage, illustrating Iran's ability to cause disruption. However, the economic impact is already evident, with oil prices surging to near $100 a barrel and tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz at a low. Iran's ability to disrupt the US economy is asymmetric. The country can raise oil prices, disrupt shipping, leverage cyber attacks, and increase economic pressure on US partners in the Gulf. Yet, these actions might harm Iran's own interests, given its already struggling economy and foreign currency shortages. Iran's attempts at cyber attacks have targeted US financial institutions and critical infrastructure, causing localized outages and costs. However, there's no evidence that Iran can cause a nationwide economic shutdown.",
  "summary": "Iran has threatened to wage an “economic war” against the US as tension between the two countries escalates, but experts say Tehran has few conventional economic weapons capable of directly hurting the world’s largest economy. Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, issued dual economic and military threats on X on Tuesday, stating that US economic warfare will…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "Can Iran really wage an economic war on the US?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/can-iran-really-wage-an-economic-war-on-the-us-6287682",
        "published": "2026-09-08T14:12:34.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}