# Iran deal expires today, Trump threatens new economic sanctions 2026-08-17T06:31:24+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war between the US and Iran expires Monday, with no sign of extension. The agreement, signed in June after Pakistan-hosted talks, has been disputed by both sides, each accusing the other of violating its terms. Tehran has said it has not decided to restart negotiations. US President Donald Trump has threatened to hit Iran hard economically. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would introduce measures against Tehran that have "never been seen" as soon as next week. Since the war began in February, the US has imposed maritime, energy and financial sanctions, and started a naval blockade. Times Now reports options on the table include secondary sanctions on Chinese 'teapot' refineries and banks, expanding sanctions on Iranian networks, a land blockade requiring cooperation from Iran's neighbours, and a total trade embargo. Experts note that smaller refineries may be less vulnerable, a land blockade would be difficult to implement, and targeting larger Chinese banks could risk retaliation from Beijing. ## Coverage - timesnownews.com This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: China, Donald Trump, Iran, sanctions, US Treasury Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/iran-deal-expires-today-trump-threatens-new-economic-sanctions/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/iran-deal-expires-today-trump-threatens-new-economic-sanctions/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/