--- title: "US economic pressure on Iran, Treasury Sec. Bessant says Hormuz may be worthless" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-economic-pressure-on-iran-treasury-sec-bessant-says-hormuz-may-be-worthless" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-economic-pressure-on-iran-treasury-sec-bessant-says-hormuz-may-be-worthless" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-economic-pressure-on-iran-treasury-sec-bessant-says-hormuz-may-be-worthless.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-economic-pressure-on-iran-treasury-sec-bessant-says-hormuz-may-be-worthless" category: "Conflict & Security" area: "Middle East" published: "2026-09-07T04:25:23.380Z" source_reported: "2026-09-07T02:39:00.000Z" updated: "2026-09-07T04:25:23.380Z" trust_score: 39 critic_score: 69 hype_score: 30 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-07T04:15:23.033370+00:00" --- # US economic pressure on Iran, Treasury Sec. Bessant says Hormuz may be worthless *Six months after the conflict began, the United States has combined a naval blockade with harsher sanctions, prompting Iranian insiders to say the squeeze is eroding Tehran's leverage over the Strait of Hormuz* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 39 of 100, higher is better. Only one named official (Treasury Secretary Bessant) and anonymous insiders; no documents; -15 for anonymous sourcing. - Craft 69 of 100, higher is better. Provides context of six‑month conflict and specific date, but lacks quotes and clear separation of fact/comment. - Hype 30 of 100, lower is better. Headline emphasizes US pressure, but body offers only repeated summaries without new evidence. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The United States launched a massive economic campaign against Iran six months after the conflict started - Washington paired a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz with tougher sanctions that cut oil revenue and restrict currency access - Treasury Secretary Bessant warned at the G20 that the Strait could become a worthless waterway within two years - Iranian insiders say the economic pressure is making it harder for Tehran to withstand the squeeze Six months after the conflict began, the United States started a large‑scale economic campaign against Iran. The effort combines a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz with expanded sanctions that cut oil revenue and restrict Iran's access to foreign currency. At the G20 finance ministers' summit, Treasury Secretary Bessant said the pressure could render the Strait of Hormuz a "worthless body of water" within two years. Iranian insiders have said the economic squeeze is making it increasingly difficult for Tehran to endure the pressure. The combined measures are intended to force Iran to change its behaviour regarding the Hormuz passage, and analysts note that the reduction in Tehran's leverage could shift regional dynamics. ## What the coverage left out None of the left‑rated, centre‑rated or right‑rated digests mention the "de‑Hormuzization" concept described in an unrelated source, nor do any of them provide a cost estimate for the U.S. economic campaign. **two years** — Predicted timeline for Hormuz to become worthless (Bessant said at the G20 finance ministers' summit) ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 14% (1) - Centre: 29% (2) - Right: 57% (4) 11 of 18 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-07T04:15:23.033370+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 2 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-07T05:00:18.936Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left‑rated digest from Al‑Monitor led on the idea that the tide may be turning against Iran. It described the United States' action as an unprecedented economic offensive aimed at achieving what military force could not, and it carried the Iranian‑insider view that the pressure is hardening Tehran's ability to withstand the squeeze. ### Centre - The centre‑rated digests from the Japan Times and WTVB highlighted the severity of the economic squeeze, calling it one of the harshest in the Islamic Republic's history after years of surviving sanctions. Both carried the basic facts of the U.S. naval blockade, the tougher sanctions, and the Iranian‑insider comment about the growing difficulty of withstanding the pressure. ### Right - The right‑rated digests from Al Arabiya, Regional Media News, the Times of India and the Straits Times all led on the notion that the United States is unleashing an unprecedented economic offensive that may be turning the tide against Iran. They noted the naval blockade, the new sanctions, and quoted Iranian insiders about the increasing hardship. The Times of India also added that officials hope the strains will lead to political consequences and possible regime change in Iran. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 1 - mixed: 1 - high: 4 - unknown: 11 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Unknown](https://glavcom.ua/world/world-politics/ekonomichnij-tisk-ssha-mozhe-zmusiti-iran-piti-na-postupki-u-vijni-reuters-1141184.html) — US Economic Pressure Could Force Iran to Make Concessions in War - [SINDOnews.com](https://ekbis.sindonews.com/read/1747057/33/blokade-dan-sanksi-as-tekan-ekonomi-iran-selat-hormuz-jadi-taruhan-1788739786) — US Blockade and Sanctions Put Pressure on Iran's Economy, Putting the Strait of Hormuz at Stake - [Unknown](https://obozrevatel.com/ukr/novosti-mir/vpliv-iranu-v-ormuzkij-prototsi-zmenshuetsya-cherez-ekonomichnij-tisk-ssha-reuters.htm) — Iran's Influence in Strait of Hormuz Diminishes Due to US Economic Pressure - [Unknown](https://focus.ua/uk/world/766891-cherez-tisk-vashingtona-iran-pochinaye-vtrachati-vpliv-na-ormuzku-protoku-zmi) — Due to Pressure From Washington: Iran Begins to Lose Influence on the Strait of Hormuz - [The Japan Times](https://japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/09/07/world/iran-hormuz-leverage-us-economic) — Iran’s Hormuz leverage wanes as U.S. economic squeeze bites - [Islamabad Post](https://islamabadpost.com.pk/irans-hormuz-leverage-wanes-as-us-economic-squeeze-bites) — Iran’s Hormuz leverage wanes as US economic squeeze bites - [Al Arabiya](https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/09/06/iran-s-hormuz-leverage-wanes-as-us-economic-squeeze-bites) — Iran’s Hormuz leverage wanes as US economic squeeze bites - [regionalmedianews.com](https://regionalmedianews.com/world/analysis-irans-hormuz-leverage-wanes-as-us-economic-squeeze-bites) — Analysis-Iran’s Hormuz leverage wanes as US economic squeeze bites - Regional Media News - [yalibnan.com](https://yalibnan.com/2026/09/06/irans-hormuz-leverage-wanes-as-us-economic-squeeze-bites) — Iran’s Hormuz leverage wanes as US economic squeeze bites – Ya Libnan - [Egyptian Gazette](https://egyptian-gazette.com/world/irans-hormuz-leverage-wanes) — Iran's Hormuz leverage wanes - [KAYHAN LIFE](https://kayhanlife.com/news/iran/analysis-irans-hormuz-leverage-wanes-as-us-economic-squeeze-bites) — ANALYSIS-Iran's Hormuz Leverage Wanes as US Economic Squeeze Bites - [Al-Monitor](https://al-monitor.com/originals/2026/09/analysis-irans-hormuz-leverage-wanes-us-economic-squeeze-bites) — Analysis-Iran's Hormuz leverage wanes as US economic squeeze bites - [Times of India](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/irans-hormuz-leverage-wanes-as-us-economic-squeeze-bites/articleshow/133838029.cms) — Iran's Hormuz leverage wanes as US economic squeeze bites - [WTVB](https://wtvbam.com/2026/09/06/analysis-irans-hormuz-leverage-wanes-as-us-economic-squeeze-bites) — Analysis-Iran’s Hormuz leverage wanes as US economic squeeze bites - [The Straits Times](https://straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/irans-hormuz-leverage-wanes-as-us-economic-squeeze-bites) — Iran's Hormuz leverage wanes as US economic squeeze bites - [BizToc](https://biztoc.com/x/d82b73fd5a5b2677) — Iran's Hormuz leverage wanes as US economic squeeze bites - [Unknown](https://aboluowang.com/2026/0906/2429873.html) — QBaidu: Will Iran's Hormuz Brand Become Increasingly Worthless? - [大纪元 Epoch Times](https://epochtimes.com/b5/26/9/4/n14843101.htm) — QBaidu: Will Iran's Hormuz Card Become Increasingly Worthless? ## Questions **What actions has the United States taken against Iran?** The United States has begun an economic offensive that includes a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and tougher sanctions that cut Iran's oil revenue and restrict its access to foreign currency, aiming to pressure Tehran over the Hormuz passage. **What did Treasury Secretary Bessant predict about the Strait of Hormuz?** At the G20 finance ministers' summit, Bessant warned that the Strait of Hormuz could become a worthless body of water within two years if the current economic pressure on Iran continues. **How are Iranian insiders describing the impact of the pressure?** Iranian insiders say the unprecedented economic squeeze is making it increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand the pressure, suggesting that Iran's leverage over the Hormuz passage is eroding. **Did any of the reports mention a cost for the U.S. campaign?** No, none of the left‑rated, centre‑rated or right‑rated digests provide a cost estimate for the United States' economic campaign against Iran. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-economic-pressure-on-iran-treasury-sec-bessant-says-hormuz-may-be-worthless. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "US economic pressure on Iran, Treasury Sec. Bessant says Hormuz may be worthless", https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-economic-pressure-on-iran-treasury-sec-bessant-says-hormuz-may-be-worthless