2026 Iran War: 2026-08-21

China Foreign Ministry said it does not recognize US sanctions on Iran and will not comply with the economic warfare campaign announced by President Trump this week, according to Middle East Spectator. Al Jazeera live coverage likewise reported Beijing criticizing the Economic D-Day push and warning that additional sanctions will fail to resolve the dispute. The statement came as Treasury Secretary Bessent publicly urged China and other partners to join US pressure.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that Washington will impose its toughest sanctions in history to squash Iran economy and collapse the government, telling allies they are either with us or against us. He said further details will be outlined at a press conference on August 24 and framed the campaign as a way to reduce the need for a large-scale kinetic restart of the war. BBC and Al Jazeera both reported the remarks as part of Trump Economic D-Day push.