Containing Iran’s Islamic theocracy, especially as it approaches nuclear weapons development, is rightly a top foreign policy priority for the second Trump administration. There’s a strong economic component to the White House’s plan for keeping Teheran on a short leash. While the Biden administration plied the mullahs with cash, Team Trump is returning to its first-term policies to restrict Iran’s adventurism.
Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent laid out what Trump’s “maximum pressure campaign” means regarding economics and trade. As he stated, “Making Iran Broke Again” requires the “collapse [of] Iranian oil exports from the current 1.5-1.6 million barrels per day, back to the trickle they were when President Trump left office.” Bessent said.
