Bessent says US to impose 'toughest' ever sanctions on Iran, urges China to cooperate

Aug 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday Washington will impose "the toughest sanctions in history" on Iran and urged Beijing to cooperate with the U.S., but China said sanctions will not help in resolving the issue. Bessent said he would hold a press conference on Monday to discuss details. "It is a one-two punch. We have the blockade (on Iran), and we are going to have the toughest sanctions in history," Bessent told CNBC. "It is going to work in Iran and we are going to collapse this regime."
2026-08-20 15:46:37