Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration will announce additional measures against Iran next week, describing them as an unprecedented escalation in economic isolation and part of a shift from military action to "economic fury." Speaking on Newsmax on August 13 and cited by the broadcaster on August 14, Bessent said the campaign could combine sweeping secondary sanctions with port blockades linked to the Strait of Hormuz, though he did not spell out the precise form the sanctions would take. The administration already reimposed its "maximum pressure" framework in February 2025, and the new push would deepen pressure on Iran's financial networks, oil exports and foreign counterparties by forcing banks and trading firms to choose between access to the U.S. financial system and business with Tehran. The rhetoric intensified as Vice President JD Vance said negotiations remained unpredictable because Iran sometimes failed to keep promises, while President Donald Trump said the United States was effectively blockading the Strait of Hormuz and could stop ships from passing, underscoring the risk of disruption around a waterway that carries roughly a fifth of global oil flows.