The Treasury Department announced new sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran on Wednesday as tensions between our two countries are nearing fever pitch. The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is already in the region, and the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is on its way and closing in fast.

But Wednesday’s moves didn’t involve military power; rather, the Trump administration is punishing them economically:

Today, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned over 30 individuals, entities, and vessels enabling illicit Iranian petroleum sales and Iran’s ballistic missile and advanced conventional weapons production, as part of Treasury’s ongoing campaign of maximum pressure…

— Treasury Department (@USTreasury) February 25, 2026

It’s all about “maximum pressure” in Trump’s bid to force them to give up their nuclear weapon dreams:

President Donald Trump's administration expanded sanctions against Iran ahead of another round of nuclear talks, ramping up the U.S. "maximum pressure" policy for Tehran.

Representatives of the U.S. and Iran are slated to meet once again in Geneva this week as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise. The Treasury Department's new sanctions target Iran's shadow fleet as well as networks supplying ballistic missiles and other advanced weapons to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's regime.

The sanctions specifically hit over 30 individuals, entities and vessels that are involved in Iran's illicit behavior. That ranges from the transport of Iranian petroleum to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran's Ministry of Defense's supply lines for building advanced missiles and drones.

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement on the department’s official website that it’s all about the oil:

“Iran exploits financial systems to sell illicit oil, launder the proceeds, procure components for its nuclear and conventional weapons programs, and support its terrorist proxies,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.  “Under President Trump’s strong leadership, Treasury will continue to put maximum pressure on Iran to target the regime’s weapons capabilities and support for terrorism, which it has prioritized over the lives of the Iranian people.” 

Many of us can’t even remember the time when Iran was a much freer place:

Iran in the 1970s.
Before the Islamic Regime… pic.twitter.com/fqYwipAot4

— Liz Churchill (@liz_churchill10) January 10, 2026

The mullahs have been cracking down hard on protests engulfing the country as demonstrators fight back against oppression, the terrible economy, and authoritarian rule. The regime has killed thousands of its citizens in recent months, although the precise number is impossible to ascertain given the closed nature of the government. The regime’s official tally is 3,117, but nobody believes that, and rights groups put the number as high as 30,000.

Trump said at Tuesday night’s State of the Union that he just wants to hear the “secret words” to avoid conflict: “We will never have a nuclear weapon.”

So far, the mullahs have refused to say them, and one can’t help but get the feeling that things are going to intensify shortly in the region. Better keep your heads on a swivel, mullahs. 

Editor's Note: With President Trump back in the White House, the state of our Union is strong once again.

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