روح‌الله رحیم‌پور, journalist and political analyst, referring to statements by Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, about cutting off the “financial oxygen” of the Islamic Republic, said Washington’s goal is not only to increase sanctions, but to disrupt the government’s ability to circulate and convert money, trade, and to bypass sanctions. He added that the U.S. expects these pressures to lead to a split at the top of the government or to the formation of protest uprisings in society, and to put the Islamic Republic under pressure to move toward an agreement with Washington.