The U.S. dollar strengthened against most major currencies in the European session on Tuesday, after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a wave of new sanctions to isolate the Iranian regime and warned that countries and companies that help Iran move or hide money could face U.S. actions and potentially lose access to the U.S. dollar system.
Traders continue to dissect the consequences of the massive economic blockade launched by the U.S. against Iran as well as the threat of secondary sanctions on its "enablers." This is seen as an effort to pressure Tehran back to the negotiating table and force the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
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Forex News
August 21, 2026 14:42 ET The minutes of the latest policy meeting of the Federal Reserve, housing market data and manufacturing sector survey results were the main news for the U.S. economy this week. In Europe, inflation data from the U.K. was the highlight, while consumer price data from Japan drew attention in Asia.