Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’ on Iran won’t work: Analyst

An analyst has warned that US President-elect Donald Trump will not be able to implement his so-called maximum pressure campaign on Iran when he re-enters the White House in late January.

James Durso said in an opinion piece published by The Hill that circumstances have changed with regard to Iran compared to 2018 when Trump announced during a previous term as US president that he would pursue tough policies against Iran.

“... 2025 is not 2018. Although Iran was on the ropes then, things are different now,” said Durso.

He said that Iran has emerged from years of US sanctions as a more powerful country both politically and economically, adding that many capitals in the West Asia region have become doubtful about the maximum pressure campaign on Iran and fear that the policy will only increase regional tensions.

The analyst said Iran has managed to solve many of its disputes with regional rival Saudi Arabia while building better relations with other Arab countries of the region including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as well as with its traditional allies Russia and China.

Durso said Iran’s oil exports have also increased steadily since 2021 as the country has expanded its tanker fleet to bypass US sanctions while insisting that Trump will fail to throttle Iran’s oil exports if it wants to again sanction the country.

The former US Navy officer, who has worked in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, also reiterated that Iran’s current administration has signaled its readiness to open up to the world.

He also elaborated on signs showing that Trump and his team are ready to engage Iran diplomatically before October 18, 2025, when a mechanism for returning international sanctions on Tehran that were lifted as part of a 2015 nuclear agreement will expire for good.

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