Friday, August 21, 2026

How the US Is Using Iran’s Economy to Fight the War in the Middle East | BBC News

Aug 21, 2026 | US Vice President JD Vance says the Iran War is in a ‘new phase’ of economic pressure.

It comes as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said: “You are either with us or against us," as he urged US allies to support Washington's efforts to "squash" the Iranian economy.

But the Iranian Foreign Ministry has called the measures ‘economic terrorism’. The BBC has also heard from people inside Iran on what life is like for them.