Report Claims US Considers Long-Term Economic Pressure Strategy on Iran

(MENAFN) According to reports citing American officials, US President Donald Trump has directed his advisers to begin preparing for the possibility of a prolonged blockade targeting Iran. The move is said to be part of a broader strategy focused on sustained economic pressure.

The report indicates that in recent internal discussions, the approach favored by Trump centers on tightening restrictions on Iran’s economy, particularly by limiting its ability to export oil and restricting maritime movement to and from Iranian ports.

Officials referenced in the report suggested that the president weighed alternative courses of action, including renewed military strikes or disengagement from the situation entirely. However, both options were viewed as carrying higher risks compared to continuing the current pressure-based strategy.

Tensions between the US, Israel, and Iran escalated after a joint military operation launched in late February. Following that, Iran responded with a series of strikes targeting locations it identified as linked to US interests across the region, including several sites in Gulf countries.

A ceasefire was later introduced in early April through mediation efforts involving Pakistan. This was followed by diplomatic discussions hosted in Islamabad a few days later, though those talks ultimately failed to produce a final agreement.

Subsequent developments suggested that the ceasefire had been temporarily extended at the request of Pakistani mediators while further proposals were expected from Tehran.

More recently, according to the same reporting, the US president expressed skepticism about Iran’s latest diplomatic proposal aimed at ending the conflict. The proposal reportedly included reopening a key maritime route while postponing decisions regarding Iran’s nuclear program to future negotiations.

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