Trump bets on new sanctions against Iran
EL RIGOR · 11 de agosto de 2026, 15:13 · 3 min read
Cross-checked in sources from United States, India and East Asia, Iran, Israel
US President Donald Trump has announced a strategic shift in his war against Iran, now betting on new economic sanctions. According to Trump, months of bombings have pushed Iran to the brink of financial collapse, which could force its government to yield to US demands. This change in strategy comes at a time when peace talks seem to have stalled and US ammunition reserves have been depleted.
Why it matters
This strategic shift has global implications, particularly in the oil market. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for transporting around 20% of the world's oil reserves, has led to an increase in crude oil prices. Additionally, the escalation of sanctions could have inflationary effects in other countries, including the US, where gasoline prices are already high and cause public concern.
The fact
Donald Trump has decided to pivot towards new economic sanctions against Iran, arguing that months of bombings have brought the country to the brink of financial collapse. The president maintains that Iran is in a critical situation, with high inflation and difficulties in paying its soldiers. Trump hopes these sanctions will compel Iran to yield to US demands and reopen the Strait of Hormuz for oil and natural gas traffic.
This strategy emerges in the context of stalled peace talks and depleted US ammunition reserves.
What each side says
Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to Trump's statements on social media. According to Baqaei, every time Washington demonstrates its inability to pursue diplomacy, it resorts to sanctions.
Richard Nephew, a senior researcher at Columbia University, has criticised the lack of clear strategic objectives in Trump's strategy. According to Nephew, the effectiveness of sanctions as a tool is limited due to the lack of clarity in Trump's objectives, which sometimes emphasise the prohibition of nuclear weapons, other times the control of the Strait of Hormuz, and occasionally refer to ballistic missiles.
Juan Zarate, a former national security advisor under George W. Bush, has noted that US sanctions and naval blockades of Iranian ports give the US an economic and financial advantage. However, Zarate also warned that these mechanisms require time and patience to determine whether economic pain will change the regime's behaviour.
What we don't know
There are no specific details about additional measures the US plans to take to increase economic pressure on Iran. Furthermore, there is no information on how other international actors will react to Trump's new strategy, nor on the position of the European Union or other global powers regarding the war and sanctions.
Piece prepared by the newsroom from cross-checked sources in several countries.