Trump Cracks Down on Iran Again, Promises Swift Consequences

Former President Donald Trump declared Thursday that any nation purchasing oil from Iran would face a total ban on doing business with the United States.

This move marks a return to his first-term "maximum pressure" strategy against the Iranian regime—an approach many credit with having a strong economic impact on Tehran.

Trump posted the announcement on Truth Social, writing:
“ALERT: All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW! Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions.”

“They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration had imposed a comprehensive embargo on Iranian crude in 2019. That policy caused exports to plunge to just 250,000 barrels per day by early 2020—a significant drop from prior years. However, under the Biden administration, Iranian oil exports rebounded, hitting a six-year high as of September.

Reuters reported that China was Iran’s top oil buyer this year, importing more than 1.8 million barrels per day in March.

During a Rose Garden address for the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, Trump spoke about the results of his previous sanctions:
“Iran had no money when I was president,” he said. “They were bust. They had no money. They weren’t giving it to Hamas. They weren’t giving it to Hezbollah. They weren’t giving it to anybody because they didn’t have any money.”

He reiterated the severity of the new policy, saying:
“Any oil that anybody takes from Iran is not allowed to do business in the United States of America.”

The announcement coincides with ongoing attempts to revive nuclear negotiations with Iran. However, The New York Times noted that the fourth round of scheduled talks, originally expected to happen on Saturday, has been delayed.

The Times also reported that Iran is currently enriching uranium to approximately 60 percent purity—dangerously close to weapons-grade—and now possesses enough material to potentially produce multiple nuclear weapons, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Despite the delay, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce emphasized that further negotiations are still anticipated:
“We expect another round of talks that will take place in the near future,” she said, clarifying that the administration had never officially confirmed the Saturday session.

Trump’s reimplementation of harsh sanctions appears to be a clear move aimed at forcing Iran back to the negotiating table.

What’s certain is this: the former president is targeting Tehran where it hurts most.