G20 finance meeting live updates: Bessent, Warsh to give remarks

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh are set to deliver remarks to kick off Monday's gathering of the Group of 20 finance ministers in Asheville, North Carolina.The meeting of international finance leaders, central bank governors and other top officials comes at a precarious time for the world economy, as President Donald Trump's war in Iran, ballooning U.S. debt and persistent inflation woes have stoked global uncertainty.The two-day meeting has attracted numerous high-profile CEOs, including Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs' David Solomon, who are both set to speak later Monday.CNBC is reporting on the G20 meeting from Asheville, New York City, Washington, D.C., and Englewood Cliffs, N.J.Bessent: Iran is taking sanctions 'very seriously'Iran is taking the threat of strengthened U.S. sanctions "very seriously," Bessent said.Recent rhetorical and military aggression from Iran's leaders shows "they're in shock at the state of their economy," the Treasury secretary told reporters before heading into G20 meetings."I would think that they are lashing out kinetically because they are losing economically," he said.— Kevin BreuningerSome reporters were barred from the Asheville meetingsU.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent points as reporters raise their hands during a press conference to outline further sanctions against Iran, at the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., Aug. 24, 2026. Evelyn Hockstein | ReutersThe Treasury Department blocked some reporters from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg from attending the meetings in Asheville, barring access from three of the nation's largest and most influential newsrooms. Treasury's refusal to give the reporters credentials is the latest instance of the Trump administration interfering with press access. Last year, the Pentagon imposed a strict new press policy that saw nearly all news organizations leave the building rather than sign an agreement to abide by the policy seeking to limit what news organizations could publish. Some of the news organizations excluded from the G20 said the move is intended to evade public scrutiny. Nearly 300 members of the media, including one Times reporter, will have high-level access to policymakers throughout the event, a Treasury spokesperson said in a statement."News coverage should be focused on informing and educating the American people, rather than prioritizing clicks, engagement, or sensationalism," the spokesperson said. Warsh on hand at G20 following Jackson Hole speechKevin Warsh, chairman of the US Federal Reserve, left, Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England, center, and Tiff Macklem, governor of the Bank of Canada at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium in Moran, Wyoming, on Aug. 28, 2026.David A. Grogan | CNBCFederal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh will be appearing in Asheville, fresh off this speech last week at the central bank's Jackson Hole, Wyo., symposium.The Fed leader is expected to deliver welcoming remarks for several sessions, with no indication that he will comment on policy.During last week's speech, Warsh hinted higher interest rates could be necessary absent further progress on getting inflation back to the Fed's 2% target.—Jeff Cox