Trump’s Iran Playbook: Maximum Pressure, Minimum Results

Trump is bringing back his favorite foreign policy strategy: yelling at Iran while making things worse.

In his latest attempt to look tough, Trump sent a direct letter to Iran’s supreme leader urging diplomacy while also ramping up sanctions. That’s like slapping someone across the face while politely asking them to dinner.

Why This Is Déjà Vu

Flashback to 2018: Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Iran Nuclear Deal, reimposed sanctions, and escalated tensions to near-war levels. Iran responded by expanding its nuclear program—which, fun fact, is the opposite of what Trump wanted.

Now he’s running the same Maximum Pressure™ playbook, hoping that this time Iran will magically cave. Spoiler alert: They won’t.

Why This Is a Bad Idea

• Sanctions don’t make Iran back down – They make them dig in harder.
• This increases the risk of war – Iran’s government isn’t exactly known for its chill response to threats.
• Trump wants a “win” before elections – And what better way than pretending he can fix the Iran problem he helped create?

What Happens Next?

Either Iran ignores Trump (likely) or things escalate (also likely). Either way, this move is not about foreign policy. It’s about winning headlines, because Trump’s foreign relations strategy is just reality TV with higher stakes.