Trump's National Security Advisor: We Have Returned to the Effective Policy of 'Maximum Pressure'

One day after signing an order to reinstate the 'maximum pressure' policy against the Islamic Republic, Donald Trump's National Security Advisor, Michael Waltz, stated in an interview with Fox News that this policy was effective, which is why the U.S. President decided to bring it back. He added that the 'maximum pressure' policy during Trump's first term reduced Iran's oil exports to nearly zero, diminished the value of their currency, and put the economy on a downward slope. Mr. Waltz noted that this policy caused the Islamic Republic to suffer significant setbacks in financing terrorism and supporting groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis across the region. On Tuesday, February 5, Donald Trump signed an order to resume the 'maximum pressure' policy against the Islamic Republic, aiming to block all pathways for the Iranian government to acquire nuclear weapons. Following this order, the value of the Iranian rial fell again, with the price of one U.S. dollar in the Iranian free market exceeding 85,000 tomans, marking a historic record. Additionally, the National Security Advisor of the Trump administration stated that the U.S. is 'completely aligned with Israel' on the issue that the Islamic Republic cannot have nuclear weapons, emphasizing that 'all options are on the table' to ensure this. Michael Waltz added, 'If the Islamic Republic conducts a nuclear test, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and others may also seek their own nuclear weapons, and we will witness a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.' Mr. Waltz emphasized that such a scenario threatens not only the U.S. but the entire world, stating that Donald Trump is determined to prevent this from happening. Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, also recently mentioned the 'maximum pressure campaign' against the Islamic Republic in an interview with Fox News. Mr. Rubio stated that Washington's goal in exerting more pressure on [the Islamic Republic] is to stop its activities aimed at 'acquiring nuclear weapons.' In this interview, he did not specifically use the term 'maximum pressure campaign.' The Islamic Republic, which has always claimed that its nuclear activities are peaceful, has threatened in recent months, especially after suffering heavy blows from Israel to its proxy groups and proving the ineffectiveness of its missile attacks on Israel, that it may change its 'nuclear doctrine,' which is considered a threat regarding the construction of nuclear weapons.