The Iran war is increasingly being fought beyond the battlefield. Its new front is Iran's economy, as Washington relies more heavily on sanctions, oil restrictions, financial pressure and a naval blockade to force Tehran to yield. The question now is whether Iran will buckle under the pressure or whether the economic costs will increasingly spread to the US and its allies.

Months into the conflict, the Trump administration is shifting greater weight onto sanctions, oil restrictions, financial pressure and the naval blockade of Iranian ports. The strategy is designed to deprive Tehran of the revenue and international economic access it needs to sustain itself and, ultimately, push it towards concessions.

Recently, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has indicated that Washington is preparing economic measures against Iran that it considers more severe than previous sanctions campaigns.