ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration plans to impose sanctions on another bank this week as it intensified efforts to economically isolate Iran, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told The Associated Press on Sunday.
“This is going to be financial violence if we have to,” Bessent said in the interview. “We are showing people that we know who you are, you know who you are, and this has got to stop.”
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Asheville, N.C., Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Asheville, N.C., Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Asheville, N.C., Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Asheville, N.C., Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Bessent spoke with the AP ahead of Group of 20 meetings in Asheville, North Carolina, where he will meet individually with his counterparts from the world’s major and developing economies to encourage cooperation against Iran.
The Trump administration recently signaled that it would shift from military strikes to economic pressure during a war that recently reached the six-month mark, promising what it called an “economic D-Day" against a country that has already weathered decades of punishing sanctions.
However, hostilities between the U.S. and Iran flared on Sunday. U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz in their first military action in a month, breaking a lull in fighting. Iran vowed to retaliate for what it called a deadly attack.
In addition, the administration has mostly relied on warnings rather than new sanctions against Iran's trading partners. There's also the question of how Trump will handle China, which is Iran's biggest trading partner and leading buyer of its oil.
Bessent told the AP he would speak to his Chinese counterparts at the G20 meeting and “all options are on the table” in terms of sanctioning Beijing for its continued purchases.
But he rejected the idea that the administration was reluctant to confront China, calling it “a completely false narrative that the media picked up on." He insisted that China and the U.S. agree on the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Treasury’s first official action in this campaign of economic pressure was a proposed rulemaking on Friday, which would, if finalized, sever the Emirati branches of Banque Misr, Egypt’s second-largest bank, from access to the U.S. financial system.
In stopping short of imposing sanctions on the Egyptian bank, the Republican administration appeared to be signaling its reluctance to penalize major trading partners that do business with Iran, including China and India.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Asheville, N.C., Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Asheville, N.C., Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Asheville, N.C., Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Asheville, N.C., Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis was among more than 1,100 players cut Sunday as NFL teams trimmed their rosters, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Titans hadn't announced their cuts.
A second-round pick in 2023 who started 21 games for the Titans, Levis was stuck behind Cam Ward and Mitch Trubisky. He was 5-16 for Tennessee in two seasons and didn't play in 2025 following shoulder surgery.
“I think he’s been awesome,” Titans coach Robert Saleh said of Levis following Saturday's game. “I thought he did a really nice job today. I thought he had a really good two-minute drive at the end of the half. Very good awareness with the time.”
Levis said he believes he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
“I feel like you’ve got to have that confidence in yourself regardless of your position,” Levis said after going 14 for 22 for 143 yards against the Bears in a 24-15 loss to close out the preseason. “I saw a quote, I forget who it was, but it’s, ‘Everyone in the league here is a starter.’ You’ve got to have that mentality. You could be in at the press of a button and just be ready to play. That’s one thing that I feel like I gained a lot in my time away, is gaining back some of the confidence that I lost throughout the last year that I played and I’m going to maintain that mindset the rest of my career.”
Teams had to be down to 53 players from 90 before 6 p.m. EDT.
Three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made the New York Giants after missing the 2025 season.
The Vikings kept J.J. McCarthy, a first-round pick in 2024. Anthony Richardson, a first-round pick in 2023, remains with the Colts. Both quarterbacks were on the bubble.
The Browns kept four QBs after placing Dillon Gabriel on injured reserve with a back injury. Shedeur Sanders will back up Deshaun Watson and rookie Taylen Green is No. 3 on the depth chart. Gabriel, who started six games as a rookie last season, can return in Week 5.
The Atlanta Falcons also went with four QBs, keeping Tua Tagovailoa, Michael Penix Jr., Cooper Rush and Jack Strand.
Several teams made trades ahead of the cutdown deadline.
Offensive tackle Broderick Jones, a 2023 first-round pick, changed teams on Sunday. So did quarterback Quinn Ewers and defensive lineman CJ Okoye. Quarterback Kyle McCord, tight ends Hunter Long and Mark Redman, tackle Walter Rouse, defensive back Clark Phillips III, defensive lineman Gervon Dexter, centers Sedrick Van Pran-Granger and Jarrett Patterson were also traded.
A day after trading Ewers to Jacksonville, the Dolphins landed a new backup quarterback by acquiring McCord from Green Bay for a 2028 sixth-round pick. The Dolphins had acquired a 2028 sixth-round pick from the Jaguars for Ewers.
McCord threw four touchdown passes in a 42-38 victory over Arizona on Friday, including two in the final 3 1/2 minutes. But the Packers signed Tyrod Taylor in May to back up Jordan Love.
McCord will back up Malik Willis, who signed a three-year, $67.5 million contract in March after playing behind Love in Green Bay the past two seasons.
The Cardinals acquired Long and a 2028 seventh-round selection from Jacksonville for a sixth-round selection in 2028. Long has 20 receptions for 153 yards in 46 games.
The Colts got Van Pran-Granger and a 2027 seventh-round pick from Buffalo for a 2027 sixth-round selection. Van Pran-Granger appeared in 18 games, including one start with the Bills in two seasons.
The trade is an indication starter Connor McGovern will be ready to go after missing much of the past month with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Lloyd Cushenberry had replaced McGovern when he was sidelined.
The Bears acquired a 2027 fifth-round pick and Phillips from Atlanta for Dexter.
The 49ers added a backup center in Patterson from Houston for a 2027 seventh-round pick, a person familiar with the deal said on condition of anonymity because it hadn’t been announced.. Patterson started 21 games over the last three seasons after being a sixth-round pick by the Texans in 2023. He will back up Jake Brendel in San Francisco. The Niners had signed Brett Toth to fill that role in the offseason but he has been out since early August with a concussion.
The Packers continued to boost their tight end depth by acquiring Redman from the Rams for a 2028 seventh-round pick. The move comes three days after Green Bay signed veteran tight end Jonnu Smith.
The Vikings sent Rouse and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Patriots in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2027.
A day earlier, the Steelers sent Jones to Dallas for draft picks. Jones who was picked 14th overall by Pittsburgh three years ago, gives the Cowboys depth at offensive tackle.
Ewers, a seventh-round pick by Miami last year, will replace Nick Mullens as Trevor Lawrence’s backup.
Okoye went from the Ravens to the Giants, reuniting with Harbaugh.
Many of the players who were cut will rejoin their teams on the practice squad. Others will go to new teams. Some will reach the end of their NFL career.
AP Pro Football Writers Schuyler Dixon, Josh Dubow and Teresa Walker, and AP Sports Writers Steve Megargee, Joseph Reedy, John Wawrow and Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.
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Green Bay Packers' Kyle McCord throws during the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
FILE - Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Broderick Jones (77) lines up during an NFL exhibition football game against the Green Bay Packers in Pittsburgh Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
