Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has suggested that President Trump may need to escalate the Iran war to avoid further escalation. He argued that higher prices Americans face due to the conflict are worth it to ensure Iran never builds a nuclear weapon. The comments came a day after Trump threatened to "obliterate" Iranian energy infrastructure if the regime did not fully open the Strait of Hormuz. The current focus of Operation Epic Fury is on taking out Iranian military units that could prevent ships from sailing safely through the strait. Bespent defended temporarily lifting sanctions on Iranian oil "stranded at sea," claiming that Iran was already set to make money off the crude and that the new policy would help US allies.