Mounting fiscal debt, military overextension, and trade friction with allies create acute strategic vulnerabilities for Washington across multiple fronts.
Browsing: Bessent
Atlantic Council experts analyze new US sanctions targeting Iranian financial lifelines, evaluating Chinese responses and broader regional economic impacts.
Washington’s latest Iran sanctions campaign targets oil, banking, and trade networks, raising fears of Iranian retaliation against Gulf states.
Washington expands economic penalties against Tehran, leaving global energy markets dependent on Beijing’s willingness to enforce trade restrictions.
Dubai’s shell firms and free zones move billions for Iran, forcing new US pressure on Abu Dhabi to act.
New US sanctions against Iran expose depleted military options and foreign reluctance as Trump’s war falters and Tehran absorbs pressure.
Rising Treasury bond yields expose the cost of alienating foreign creditors as Washington pushes sanctions and tariffs while debt soars.
Washington’s naval blockade and sanctions squeeze Iran as Hormuz oil traffic collapses and stalled diplomacy leaves no clear off-ramp.
The transition is defined by unprecedented friction, notably the U.S. boycott of the 2025 Johannesburg summit and Trump’s recent move to exclude South Africa from the 2026 Miami summit. As Washington replaces traditional themes with “America First” priorities, the forum’s ability to foster global consensus faces its most severe test since the 2008 financial crisis.