Examining Trump's New Approach Toward the Iranian Government; Different, with More Powerful Tools

Michael Lipin, a reporter for the English section of Voice of America, examined Trump's new policy towards the Islamic Republic, describing it as 'different' and with 'greater pressure tools.' He wrote: 'Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has resumed the maximum pressure policy against the Islamic Republic while simultaneously discussing the possibility of reaching a new nuclear agreement. Analysts believe that Trump's new policy is accompanied by broader pressure tools compared to his first presidential term and is adapted to the current conditions of the Islamic Republic.' Brian Katulis, a senior member of the Middle East Institute in Washington, told Michael Lipin: 'Trump's new policy is qualitatively different from his first term and includes more ambitious goals and greater pressure tools.' Jason Brodsky, director of policy at the United Against a Nuclear Iran group, also told Voice of America that he expects Trump to 'intensify' the maximum pressure strategy to align with the geopolitical conditions of 2025. He cited the increase in Iranian oil exports in recent years as one of the factors that have prompted a change in Trump's policy. According to him, the new White House document emphasizes the need to end Tehran's 'nuclear extortion,' but it is unclear whether Trump still demands a complete halt to uranium enrichment by Iran or has a different solution in mind. On Tuesday, Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum implementing a series of economic and legal measures to counter the activities of the Islamic Republic that threaten U.S. national security. This document emphasizes stopping the development of Iran's ballistic missile program, nuclear-related capabilities, and Tehran's support for proxy forces in the region. During his first presidential term, Donald Trump initiated the maximum pressure policy to stop the Islamic Republic's nuclear, missile, and regional activities. He withdrew from the JCPOA nuclear agreement in 2018 and imposed extensive sanctions on Tehran, but he did not succeed in reaching a new agreement. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, reacted to Trump's new policy on Friday, stating that the U.S. exit from the JCPOA has shown that negotiating with Washington is 'neither rational, nor wise, nor dignified,' and the Islamic Republic should not engage in such negotiations.