Topic: Sanctions

Treasury official Scott Bessent is leading an "Operation Economic Outcast" to isolate the Iranian regime by cutting them off from the U.S. dollar system and the Federal Reserve wire. The strategy involves secondary sanctions on entities doing business with the IRGC and tracking down illegitimate assets in the British Virgin Islands. Additionally, the U.S. plans to bypass the Strait of Hormuz within two years using land-based pipelines.

Adam Curry provides a "culture briefing" on the tensions between the United States and Iran, focusing on the role of China and global oil trade. He argues that the presence of a U.S. Armada is a show of force to protect oil shipping lanes rather than a precursor to a ground war. Curry expresses skepticism toward sensationalist casualty numbers and the involvement of open-source intelligence groups like Bellingcat.