US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has publicly called for global cooperation in a new economic campaign against Iran. Speaking to CNBC, Bessent framed the initiative as a necessary step to isolate the Iranian economy following the collapse of recent diplomatic efforts to end a six-month conflict and secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Bessent specifically addressed China’s role, noting that because China relies on the Gulf for approximately 50% of its energy, it would be in their interest to align with the US-led sanctions. He characterized the choice for international partners as a binary one, stating that countries must decide whether they are "with us or against us."

While the BBC focuses on the broad ultimatum issued to all US partners, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) highlights the specific pressure being applied to Beijing. The reports agree that the sanctions are intended to be a "crushing" economic operation, though they differ slightly in their framing of the diplomatic context. The SCMP explicitly links the sanctions to the failure of negotiations regarding the Strait of Hormuz, whereas the BBC report focuses more on the ultimatum aspect of the Treasury Secretary's rhetoric.