Besant’s statements to reporters came ahead of the G20 meetings in Asheville, North Carolina, where he will hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from major and developing global economies to urge them to cooperate against Iran.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Besant said, “The Treasury Department is considering imposing sanctions on another bank this week, as part of intensifying its efforts to isolate Iran economically, but he did not mention the name of the bank targeted by the new sanctions.”
“It would be financial violence if we had to,” Besant added. “We are showing people that we know who they are, they know who they are, and this has to stop.”
For its part, Reuters quoted Besant as saying that the Treasury Department is likely to unveil new secondary sanctions weekly aimed at increasing economic pressure on Iran, with an initial focus on banks.
The American minister continued: “You will see more of these measures every week. We start with the banks, and we tell the banks that it is unacceptable for them to hold Iranian money or to help the Iranian regime.” (Erm News)
