Trump wanted to 'strangle' Iran but suffered a fiasco — WP
US economic pressure on Iran has led to the collapse of the rial, inflation above 80%, and the impoverishment of the population, but has not forced the country's leadership to change its policy. Tehran's revenues are shrinking, oil exports are limited by a naval blockade, yet the regime shows no readiness for negotiations, and regional pressure from Iran continues.
US economic pressure on Iran, including the reinstatement of a naval blockade, has led to severe consequences for Iran's economy and population but has not achieved its main political goal — changing the country's leadership's policy. According to The Washington Post, inflation in Iran exceeds 80%, the Iranian rial has fallen below 2.3 million to the dollar, and residents face fuel and electricity shortages. Tehran's revenues are shrinking by billions of dollars, and oil exports are limited: before the blockade, Iran could ship millions of barrels of oil daily by sea; now land routes can only export about 250,000 barrels per day. However, the Iranian leadership shows no readiness to meet Washington's demands: Tehran has not abandoned its demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz, planned talks in Oman fell through, and Iranian forces continue to attack vessels. A gap has emerged between the economic and political results of the American strategy: Washington can inflict damage on Iran's economy, but turning that damage into a change in the regime's policy has proven far more difficult. The pressure is felt faster in the contents of an Iranian family's refrigerator than in the political decisions of the country's leadership. The International Monetary Fund projects Iran's real GDP will contract by 5.4% in 2026 and estimates consumer price growth at 68.9%. Iranian authorities are trying to shift some costs onto the population: in September, Tehran announced cuts to subsidies on imported gasoline, after which some fuel prices for consumers doubled. History already shows the limits of the 'maximum pressure' strategy: after the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018, Iran's political system survived, and the economy returned to growth by 2023. Regional pressure from Iran continues: Tehran-backed Houthis have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia, and commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains significantly below pre-war levels.