Will Trump’s maximum pressure on Iran restart talks or force escalation?
President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum to impose “maximum pressure” on Iran, a campaign that — during his first term — levied intense sanctions on the country in hopes of bringing it back to the negotiating table for nuclear talks.
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum Tuesday directing US federal agencies to reinstate his policy of maximum pressure on Iran, aiming to curb its nuclear ambitions and regional influence. Some experts say the policy could pull Iran back into negotiations, while others fear it could push it toward more escalatory action.
What happened: Trump wrote that Iran’s nuclear program “poses an existential danger to the United States and the entire civilized world." He also cited Iran’s targeting of US nationals, its “responsibility” for Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and its continued support for Yemen's Houthis. "Iran bears responsibility for the horrific Hamas massacres committed on Oct. 7, 2023, and bears responsibility for continued Houthi attacks against the United States Navy, allied navies and international commercial shipping in the Red Sea," the memorandum stated.
The president outlined a number of measures to reinstate maximum pressure, including:
imposition of sanctions and their correlating enforcement mechanisms
