digital assets, technology, gold, aviation and shipping. Any nation financially partnering with Iran would be isolated. However, Bessent's announcement of what he termed an ‘economic D-Day’ may have sounded more dramatic in Washington than in Tehran. Shortly after the announcement, Iran's Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh called it "the same old talk" and said Iran was ready for "every scenario". He said Tehran had expected the measures and had plans to deal with them. His reaction points to the main question Iranian leaders are likely to be asking: “What can the US do now that it has not already tried?” Bessent has threatened wider secondary sanctions against countries, banks and companies that continue doing business with Iran. But the basic policy is not new. Iran has faced US sanctions for years, including penalties against foreign companies trading with it. What matters to Tehran is whether Washington can enforce sanctions more widely than before. The US blockade has already made a difference. It has reduced Iran's ability to export as much oil by sea as it did before and made it harder to import goods and equipment. Iran has long land borders with seven countries and years of experience using them to bypass sanctions. But land routes cannot easily replace trade by sea, especially oil exports. The pressure could therefore become much more serious if Washington manages to close channels that survived previous sanctions, particularly those involving China and Iran's neighbors. That is a big ask. China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that it firmly opposed the sanctions, calling them illegal. (BBC)