WASHINGTON — As the war with Iran approaches the six-month mark on Friday, President Donald Trump is betting economic pressure can succeed where military strikes have not. The challenge, analysts say, is that there is little left for the Trump administration to target in a country that has endured Western sanctions for nearly five decades and has become adept at partially evading them. 

In a Truth Social post Wednesday, Trump appeared to threaten secondary sanctions on other countries, warning of “tremendous consequences” for those who provide “any type of lifeline” to Iran. He did not specify which countries he was referring to or what measures the United States might pursue. 

The Trump administration is considering tighter economic pressure as diplomacy with Tehran appears stalled. On Monday, a 60-day memorandum of understanding that laid the groundwork for ending the war formally expired, and a day later, Trump insisted "no talks or conversations" were ongoing or scheduled with the Iranians. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Thursday that the United States is unlikely to restart major military operations against Iran as it waits for its economic warfare campaign to take effect. 

“It is a one-two punch. We have the blockade, and we are going to have the toughest sanctions in history,” Bessent said. “We are going to collapse this regime."