US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent making it very clear: Washington is willing to use the full force of its financial system to choke Iran economically.
That may look like strength, but it also confirms what much of the world already suspects, that access to the dollar system is conditional and can be weaponised at will.
Every time the US turns sanctions into a blunt instrument, it reinforces the case for countries to reduce their exposure to American financial dominance.
You don’t have to admire BRICS to understand the dynamic.
When the world’s reserve currency is used as leverage, other nations start building alternatives.
Not out of ideology,out of self-preservation.
Economic coercion doesn’t just pressure adversaries.
It signals to neutral states that their sovereignty could be one policy shift away from being constrained.
That accelerates diversification, parallel payment systems, and long-term de-dollarisation efforts.
Washington may believe it’s tightening control.
In reality, it may be steadily teaching the world how to operate without it.
Power used recklessly has a cost. And over time, the cost compounds……¹
