Trump continued to attack Iran even during his last term
The war that began last year in Gaza brought Iran and Israel face to face. Trump appeared aggressive toward Iran even during his election campaign. In his first term, Trump imposed strict sanctions on Tehran under the “maximum pressure” policy, ending the nuclear agreement that Iran signed with world powers in 2015. In response, Tehran increased its nuclear activities.
Sanctions imposed on Iran remained in effect even during the Biden administration. However, analysts believe that during this period the sanctions were not implemented as stringently as they should have been to revive the nuclear agreement with Iran and limit the crisis. According to the US Energy Information Agency, Iran’s crude oil exports have more than tripled over the past four years. This rises from 400,000 barrels per day in 2020 to more than 1.5 million barrels in 2024.
Trump’s team is preparing orders
Sources claim that Trump’s team is preparing an order that he will issue on his first day in the Oval Office, targeting Tehran. This includes tightening new sanctions on Iranian oil exports. By doing so, he could reduce Iranian oil exports to a few hundred thousand barrels per day.
Oil is Iran’s main source of income, says Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy, a consulting firm and a former energy adviser to the George W. Bush administration. The Iranian economy is already in a critical situation. If sanctions are imposed on Iran, it may be difficult for it. This could bring him to his knees.
Another Trump policy is to deprive Iran of the revenue needed to build its army or fund proxy groups in the region. This involves pressuring Iran and persuading it to negotiate a new nuclear agreement and change its regional policies. However, there are still many questions about how successful it will be.
