US President Donald Trump will reinstate his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran on Tuesday in a bid to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and to drive its oil exports to zero, a US official said.
The move marks a return to the tough US policy on Iran that Trump, a Republican, pursued during his first term. Trump has criticised his Democratic predecessor, former President Joe Biden, for allegedly weakening US resolve against Iran.
During his campaign, Trump argued that Biden’s failure to strictly enforce oil-export sanctions had emboldened Tehran, enabling it to sell oil, accumulate funds, and expand both its nuclear activities and regional influence through armed militias. Iranian crude exports surged to their highest levels in years in 2024 as the country found ways to circumvent sanctions.
The policy shift comes as Trump prepares to meet with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later on Tuesday.
According to a US official, Trump will sign a presidential memorandum instructing the Treasury Department to impose “maximum economic pressure” on Iran, reinforcing sanctions and penalising those who violate them.
As part of this renewed effort, the administration will pursue a strategy “aimed at driving Iran’s oil exports to zero,” the official stated. Iran’s oil exports generated $53 billion in 2023 and $54 billion in 2022, according to US Energy Information Administration estimates. OPEC data indicates that Iran’s oil production in 2024 was at its highest since 2018.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, oil prices fluctuated on Tuesday following news of Trump’s plans.
The US ambassador to the United Nations will coordinate with key allies to “complete the snap-back of international sanctions and restrictions on Iran,” the official said.
During Trump’s first term, his maximum pressure strategy relied on sweeping sanctions to cripple Iran’s economy and force it into negotiations over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. While the Biden administration did not officially ease Trump-era sanctions, there has been debate over how rigorously they were enforced.
Britain, France, and Germany informed the United Nations Security Council in December that they were prepared to trigger a snap-back of all international sanctions on Iran if necessary to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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