Bessent Tells Iranians To Stockpile Fuel And Stop Paying Taxes As Economic Crisis Deepens

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has urged Iranians to stop paying taxes and stockpile fuel, warning that the country's economy could contract by more than 25% by March 2027 as Washington escalates pressure on Tehran.

In an exclusive interview with Iran International published around October 26, Bessent outlined a worsening economic outlook under Operation Economic Outcast, a U.S. campaign combining financial sanctions with a naval blockade targeting Iran's oil exports and financial networks.

"My advice to the Iranian people would be: don't pay your taxes because you're not going to get anything back from the government," Bessent told interviewer Kambiz Tavana.

Bessent Predicts Economic Contraction Exceeding 25%

Bessent forecast a contraction considerably larger than the economic decline experienced by the Soviet Union following its dissolution.

"I would predict that from March of '26 until March of '27, the economy would contract more than 25 percent, which is more than the Soviet Union contracted after its collapse."

The projection covers the 12-month period ending in March 2027 and represents one of Bessent's starkest public assessments of Iran's economic prospects.

He attributed the anticipated downturn to mounting U.S. economic pressure, which he said was depriving Tehran of revenue and access to foreign currency.

According to Bessent, Iran's government is increasingly dependent on printing money while struggling to meet salary obligations and reducing public benefits.

Treasury Secretary Warns Of Fuel Shortages

Bessent also advised Iranian households to prepare for disruptions to domestic energy supplies, predicting shortages of both heating fuel and gasoline.

"You should start stocking up on heating fuel. There's going to be a big heating fuel shortage. In terms of gasoline, everyone should fill up their tanks now."

The warning came alongside his assessment that restrictions on Iran's oil sector were tightening the government's access to revenue.

Bessent claimed Iran had no oil shipments currently at sea and that loading operations at Kharg Island, a key focus of the U.S. blockade, had stopped.

These assertions were presented as part of the Treasury secretary's assessment of the campaign's effectiveness.

Washington Plans To Intensify Economic Pressure

Bessent said Operation Economic Outcast would enter a more aggressive phase over the coming eight weeks.

He described the next stage as "even more intense," signaling that Washington intended to expand pressure on Iran's remaining economic and financial resources.

The campaign combines sanctions with restrictions on maritime oil movements, targeting the revenue streams and financial channels available to Tehran.

Bessent maintained that Washington's measures were directed at the Iranian government rather than ordinary citizens.

He said humanitarian channels for food and medicine remained open despite the broader restrictions.

U.S. Strategy Targets Tehran's Financial Resources

The interview reinforced Bessent's broader characterization of Iran's economic position, including the decline in oil revenue, the rial's collapse and mounting fuel shortages.

His advice to withhold taxes and his forecast of a contraction exceeding 25% between March 2026 and March 2027 were specific to the Iran International interview.

Iran International's English-language X account published a summary of his remarks on October 26.

The statements underscored Washington's intention to use economic restrictions to weaken Tehran's financial position while warning Iranian households of further disruption.