Gold, Flights, Cryptocurrency: U.S. Vows to Go After More Than Iranβs Oil NYT: Technology By: Zane Irwin 26 August 2026 at 08:46 The United States threatened sanctions for any country or entity that engages with Iranβs gold, digital assets, aviation, shipping and tech industries. Hereβs why that matters. Β© Vahid Salemi/Associated PressA gas station in Tehran on Tuesday. The United States imposed a monthslong blockade on Iranβs shipments of oil, the nationβs economic engine.