US President Donald Trump has shifted his Iran strategy toward economic pressure, stressing Tehran’s financial problems and sanctions while refusing to rule out fresh military strikes.
Trump told Axios that Washington was “low-keying” its approach and only partially negotiating with Tehran. He said the United States was watching Iran’s economic condition rather than rushing into further action.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump claimed Iran was “totally broke” and struggling to pay its soldiers. He also repeated a claim on Truth Social on Wednesday that Iranian inflation had exceeded 300%.
Trump said there was no urgency for further military action because the United States had “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments.
Washington announced fresh measures at the end of July targeting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Wall Street Journal also reported that Trump’s advisers had presented him with data on the impact of US sanctions as he considered tightening economic restrictions.
Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution said Iran remained under severe economic pressure, with limited oil exports, continued sanctions and restricted access to overseas assets.
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Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described Washington’s renewed sanctions push as a “retreat.” He argued that Iran had endured US sanctions for decades and accused Washington of increasing economic pressure when diplomacy failed.
Trump later compared the confrontation with Iran to a chess game. Baqaei responded that Iranians had shown themselves to be “professional chess players.”
