From D-Day to economic war: US invokes World War II in Iran sanctions push

The United States on Monday invoked one of the defining military operations of World War II as it launched a sweeping new economic campaign aimed at cutting Iran off from the global financial system.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, announcing what Washington has dubbed “Operation Economic Outcast”, compared the campaign to the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944, saying the United States was now seeking to strike at Iran's economic connections in much the same way the Allies targeted Nazi Germany and its positions across Europe.

Also Read: Every country backing Iran should brace for US sanctions, warns Bessent


“During World War II, D-Day marked the historic beginning of a joint campaign with our allies to target and drive the enemy from its positions, including those in third countries,” Bessent said.

“Today, in that same spirit, we are launching an economic onslaught against Iran’s financial connections around the globe. Our goal is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime,” he said.

Also Read: 'Economic D-Day': US announces expansion of sanctions in 'onslaught' on Iran

The reference to D-Day is striking because the June 6, 1944, operation was not simply a single assault but the beginning of a massive Allied campaign to establish a foothold in Nazi-occupied France and ultimately push German forces out of Western Europe. Nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed along the Normandy coast that day, supported by thousands of ships and aircraft. The operation opened a western front against Nazi Germany and set the Allies on a path toward the liberation of occupied Europe.