Middle East & Africa | America and the Middle East

Get ready for “Maximum Pressure 2.0” on Iran 

The Trump White House may bomb and penalise the regime into a deal 

A protester holds a poster depicting former U.S. President Donald Trump, shown in a defiant pose, during a rally in Tehran, Iran, on November 3, 2024.
Photograph: Imago
|DUBAI

OCCASIONALLY, THERE are second acts in American diplomacy. During his first term, Donald Trump abandoned the nuclear pact agreed on in 2015 by Iran and world powers. He went on to pursue “maximum pressure”, crippling sanctions meant to compel Iran into a stricter agreement. It was only half successful: the sanctions battered Iran’s economy, but Mr Trump left office without a deal.

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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Maximum pressure 2.0”

From the November 23rd 2024 edition

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