Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended President Donald Trump’s escalating threats against Iran, suggesting stronger military pressure may be necessary to force de-escalation in the widening conflict.
Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, Bessent addressed Trump’s recent comments that U.S. forces would begin targeting Iran’s power plants if the country doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil artery.
“This is the only language the Iranians understand,” Bessent said. “The president will take whatever steps necessary to achieve those goals.”
Bessent emphasized that the administration is intentionally maintaining strategic ambiguity.
“He’s not going to give away what we’re going to do. … He’s leaving all options on the table,” Bessent said.
Two women from the Iranian Red Crescent Society stand as a thick plume of smoke from a U.S.-Israeli strike on an oil storage facility late Saturday rises into the sky in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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