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U.S. Economic Isolation of Iran

Ongoing U.S. efforts to sever economic ties and impose sanctions on Iran through successive policy initiatives and operational campaigns.

Druckenmiller tells Bessent to cut deficit instead of intervening in bond market

Illustration accompanying article: Druckenmiller tells Bessent to cut deficit instead of intervening in bond market
  • Stanley Druckenmiller publicly warned Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will fail in his effort to push down US bond yields through expanded government bond purchases.
  • Druckenmiller, who worked with Bessent at George Soros's fund management firm in the 1990s, wrote in the Wall Street Journal that governments defending prices against market fundamentals "always lose."
  • Druckenmiller's criticism followed Bessent's decision to at least double the maximum size of Treasury buyback operations from $2 billion to $4 billion, which briefly lowered yields before the effect reversed.
  • The US national debt surpassed $40 trillion last week, with the annual deficit projected at $2 trillion this year, according to the Guardian.
  • The 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.74 percent on August 25, 2026, according to Federal Reserve data.
 2026-08-25 · 3 MIN READ

Iran's top politicians urge end to war as economy crumbles

Illustration accompanying article: Iran's top politicians urge end to war as economy crumbles
  • Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Friday that Iran must end the six-month-old war and address its crippled economy, pushing back against hardliners taking a more defiant approach.
  • Pezeshkian said "the war must come to an end at some point" and that Iran should "demonstrate our strength and dignity today and tell the world that we have won."
  • Ghalibaf warned there will be no security if the country ignores its economic crisis, saying "we will not achieve progress" without financial circulation and economic growth.
  • Analysts said the comments reflect Iran's economic distress but that further escalation is more likely than an end to the war given the lack of viable parameters for a deal.
 2026-08-22 · 4 MIN READ
Trump announces 'unprecedented' Iran sanctions push ahead of midterms