Six months of strikes and sanctions have not shifted Tehran’s position
President Donald Trump has paired resumed military strikes on Iran with a new sanctions campaign called “Operation Economic Outcast” in an effort to force Iran to back down more than six months into a war that has failed to shift Tehran’s leadership, according to the Associated Press. The dual approach combines economic pressure meant to isolate Iran from its remaining global trade partners with the threat of what the wire service described as “a devastating escalation in force.”
“Operation Economic Outcast,” launched a week ago, came as the Trump administration also resumed strikes in recent days. Iran has retaliated to the renewed bombing, a response that has renewed concerns of an all-out regional war.
The combination of what the AP called “already intense sanctions” and an off-and-on bombing campaign running since the war began more than six months ago has not bowed Iran’s leadership. The AP described Iran’s government as “intransigent” and reported that Tehran “has dug in its heels — to Trump’s frustration.” The administration is “struggling to find a way to wind down the conflict,” the wire service reported.
The difficulty of finding an exit has coincided with rising energy prices, a roiling global economy, and slipping poll numbers on the administration’s handling of the war ahead of November’s midterm congressional elections. The AP reporting did not specify which polls or quantify the dip.
The AP article, written by AP reporter Matthew Lee, characterized the administration’s posture as one Trump “appears to have settled on” rather than having been formally announced. The reporting establishes that more than six months of combined economic and military pressure have not changed Iran’s calculation.