Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended strikes on Iran's infrastructure since the U.S. and Israel's joint operation against the country began in February, stating that sometimes "sometimes you have to escalate to de-escalate". His comments came hours after President Donald Trump warned Iran that he was giving Iran's leadership 48 hours to open the Strait of Hormuz or risk US military strikes. A spokesperson for Iran's military command headquarters warned that if the US strikes Iran's oil infrastructure, Iran will respond in kind. Meanwhile, the Treasury Department's decision to allow the sale of Iranian oil stranded at sea was criticized by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who questioned why it was allowed to be sold to the Chinese at a discount.