If President Donald Trump had his way, he would be signing peace deals as frequently as he signs executive orders inside the Oval Office. Say what you will about the man, but he has big ambitions and unlimited confidence. Whether it’s ending the war in Ukraine, turning Gaza into the world’s next international playground under some American pseudo-ownership, or convincing Canada to join the American Republic as its newest state, Trump’s musings are equal parts baffling, amusing, and disturbing.
The interesting thing about Trump, though, is that he’s willing to talk to anybody. It doesn’t matter if the person on the other end of the phone line is a U.S. ally or one of Washington’s main adversaries. That includes perhaps the most hardened U.S. adversary of them all—Iran.
Earlier this week, Trump signed an executive order re-imposing the maximum pressure policy against Tehran that was in effect during his first administration. The order authorized the inter-agency to bring Iran’s oil exports to zero by enhancing sanctions enforcement on the banks, vessels, and importers who deal with the trade (90 percent of Iran’s crude exports go to China). The strategy aims to squeeze the Iranian economy to such an extent that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has to crawl his way back to the negotiating table on U.S. terms.
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