Trump's intensified sanctions on Iran risk backfiring and eroding U.S. credibility

The piece argues that President Donald Trump's effort to defeat Iran through combined military strikes and an intensified sanctions blockade merely repeats a 47-year U.S. pattern of pressure that has never succeeded. While airstrikes have damaged Iranian infrastructure and eliminated senior officials, they have also reinforced the regime’s domestic legitimacy, and Iran continues to field missiles, drones, and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump's latest "most crushing economic operation," a second port blockade, will hurt Iran’s economy but is unlikely to compel policy change and may undermine U.S. credibility as Tehran can retaliate against global energy flows. Historical episodes from Carter to Obama show Iran’s mix of ideological rigidity and pragmatic engagement, rendering pure pressure ineffective. The article warns that future leaders, whether Republican JD Vance or Marco Rubio, will find the traditional pressure toolkit weakened and calls for a reassessment of U.S. policy that balances realism with diplomatic engagement.