The collapse of the US-Iran ceasefire has reopened two fronts in the conflict: one military, the other economic. As Washington ramps up strikes and seeks to choke off Iranian oil exports, President Masoud Pezeshkian declared on Monday that Iran's economy is the country's "most important battlefield." 

What happened: The economic reprieve Iran enjoyed under last month's ceasefire is rapidly disappearing. On July 14, US President Donald Trump reinstated a blockade on Iranian ports and revoked a waiver that had allowed Tehran to resume oil exports after signing a 60-day memorandum of understanding with Washington in June. 

The agreement had temporarily eased sanctions in exchange for Iran gradually reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, providing the country's embattled economy with a much-needed lifeline and other financial incentives.

The Trump administration is now seeking to reverse those gains as fighting resumes, pairing renewed economic restrictions with strikes on infrastructure. On July 9, the United States struck Iran's Aq Taqeh Khan railway bridge, a strategic freight link connecting Iran to Central Asia, China and Russia.