Nearly six months after American and Israeli airstrikes opened a war that has claimed thousands of lives — among them 168 Iranian schoolchildren on the first day — the United States is preparing to extend its reach far beyond the battlefield. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to announce what the administration calls the toughest sanctions in history against Iran, a measure aimed as much at Beijing as at Tehran, since China absorbs more than 80 percent of Iran's seaborne oil exports. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil once flowed freely, has been reduced to a
US prepares 'toughest sanctions in history' against Iran, pressuring China and global oil markets
The conflict has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran, including 168 Iranian schoolchildren on the first day; the US reports 18 military personnel killed and over 750 wounded.