LARRY KUDLOW: Banking, blockading, and the final Iranian financial squeeze

Last week Treasury Man Scott Bessent unveiled Operation Economic Fury to put maximum financial pressure on the hoodlums running the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. I’d like to give that economic fury some more visibility, because I think blockading Iran ports, which will keep the regime out of the money, along with a banking freeze, are two major weapons that will eventually bring the regime to an end.

We know the Iranian ports are being successfully blocked, and it won’t be long until their revenue dries up, and the IRGC, which is basically a government cartel mafioso business operation, won’t even be able to make payroll in the next couple of weeks and their retirement plans will go bust. More than $400 million of losses on a daily basis can really hurt a company. Let’s go a step further. These mob thugs all have bank accounts overseas with the money they have extorted and robbed the citizenry of Iran. Billions and billions of dollars are undoubtedly at stake.

I say these Iranian bank accounts should be seized. Places like Turkey, the UAE, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and I’m sure many others, should hand over the Iranian deposits, and then they could be placed in escrow in a special war account in the Treasury Department. You could say freezing the assets is enough, but I don’t think so. Actual seizure is more comprehensive. And any of these countries who refuse to comply with Operation Economic Fury will be subject to secondary sanctions and tariffs.

For example, that means any transactions by these foreign banks with America and hopefully its allies, would be removed from the international Swift payments ledger system, and would no longer be eligible to undertake financial transactions governed by the New York Fed wire in the United States. This would maximize the financial pressure on the Iranian regime. They have been stealing money and looting the Iranian treasury for decades.

I’m sure they tried to diversify their international portfolios. And for a long time they’ve been getting away with it because they own all these Iranian businesses. And that’s one reason they’re clinging to power against all odds of losing this war to America and Israel.

Here’s one of the key points Mr. Bessent made: “One of the what may prove to be fatal mistakes that the Iranians made was bombing” their “neighbors” in the Gulf Cooperation Council, “and who are now willing to be much more transparent in terms of the funds.”

And it’s not just oil money, it’s the non-oil businesses the IRGC thugs have taken over throughout the years.

Mr. Bessent suggested a freeze which is okay, but frankly I think seizure is more powerful, and I think secondary sanctions are still more powerful.

Banking, blockading, and the final Iranian financial squeeze. We are coming to the end game.