U.S. to sanction major bank Monday as Iran strategy escalates with airline restrictions

On the eve of a new week, the United States moved to tighten its economic grip on Iran, announcing sanctions against a major Iranian bank and dozens of airlines — instruments through which Tehran has long sustained its network of regional proxies. The measures, announced by Treasury Secretary Bessent on a Friday with implementation set for Monday, reflect a strategic pivot: treating Iran's military reach across the Middle East not as a secondary concern but as the primary target of American financial pressure. Whether such tools can outpace the ingenuity of a sanctions-hardened state remains,