Trump Plans to Reinstate ‘Maximum Pressure’ on Iran with Sanctions

US President-elect, Donald Trump, intends to sustain and intensify the “maximum pressure” policy imposed on Iran to debar it from exporting its oil and reining in its influence in the region, which was reported late on Thursday, 07-11-2024, by media.

According to news sources, the “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action” was the policy introduced by Trump in his 1st presidency tenure to limit Iran’s nuclear abilities.

Trump’s new approach is reportedly influenced by the recent alleged Iranian agents’ attempts to assassinate Trump and other former US leaders, supposedly in retaliation for a 2020 US drone strike that killed senior Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

Brian Hook who is a former US State Department official and also led the previous Iran policy, will be one of the significant figures in the Trump presidency.

Hook previously advocated for the “maximum pressure” strategy that was able to “reduce funds available to Tehran’s security services.”

It’s going to be maximum pressure 2.0.

Robert McNally

Trump May Support Israeli Strike on Iran’s Nuclear and Energy Facilities to Put Pressure

Helima Croft, chief commodities strategist at Canadian broker RBC Capital Markets, says Trump may try to pressure Tehran by supporting an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear and energy facilities.

According to the media reports, “The difference is that the Biden administration was given a private assurance by Israel that it would not target nuclear installations or energy infrastructure before its strikes on Iran on Oct. 26, 2024.”

Those who briefed the source on Trump’s transition plan briefed that the administration of the 47th president will rapidly replicate the method used during his first term to suppress Iran’s petroleum revenue.

“I think you’re going to see the sanctions go back on, you’re going to see much more, both diplomatically and financially, they’re trying to isolate Iran. I think the perception is that Iran is definitely in a position of weakness right now, and now’s the opportunity to exploit that weakness.”

Former White House Official

Crude oil exports from Iran dwindled to 250,000 barrels per day by early 2020 following the total embargo imposed by Trump on them in 2019.

However, after the Biden-Harris administration softened its stance, Iran’s oil exports reached a 6 year high in September this year.

Besides the sanctions against Iraqi authorities who fund militants supported by Tehran, McNally said Trump would impose US restrictions on Chinese ports that accept Iranian oil once he is in office.

Read Also:

• UK-Sanctioned Oil Dealer Seeks The Assistance Of An Ex-Biden Aide To Avoid US Penalties
• Financial Crime Watchlist Set to Include Lebanon in Greylist This Week

According to him, these measures might suffice to lower the daily acquisitions of oil by at least 500,000 barrels mainly from China.

However going forward, Trump will also have to face calls to decrease deliveries of Iranian oil without risking an oil price hike that would fan inflation.

“The situation may become catastrophic for Iran’s oil industry”

Iranian Official

He made it evident that though Beijing suffers from a natural gas shortage, China is already purchasing Iranian crude oil at a discount.

Tehran could speed up its nuclear program and further engage with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) focusing on Eurasia as a response to US sanctions.

On November 6, 2024, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pronounced that the US election would not affect his country.

As per media reports, continuous attempts at assassinating Trump and other former officials of the United States through Iranian operatives—purportedly to retaliate against a US drone strike in 2020 that killed senior Iranian General Qassem Soleimani—have shaped the new Trump strategy.