U.S.S. Lincoln Begins 13,000-Mile Journey Home, and the Shortage That Could Take Down the Grid

President Trump is pivoting from military threats against Iran to what he called an "economic D-Day," promising "the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country." Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a plan will be rolled out next week, but his comments also signaled something important: "that means that likely there will not be a large scale kinetic restart." By going all in on economic warfare, the U.S. is stepping back from threats of military action. One former Middle East negotiator who worked for presidents of both parties said Iran's leaders are likely reading Trump's pivot as a clear sign he does not want to go back to full-scale war.

The question is how effective new economic pressure can be. The U.S. is already blockading Iran's ports, and the country has faced years of crippling sanctions. Trump expanded his threats to target any country that does business with Iran, trying to isolate it further. But experts say following through will be very difficult. Iran's most important financial lifeline is China, which buys most of its oil.