Posted on 08/09/2026 3:21:05 PM PDT by Miami Rebel
President Trump signaled on Sunday that he's prepared to allow economic pressure on Iran to mount — as opposed to ordering a new military offensive — even as the country continues to defy the U.S.
Why it matters: Only a week ago, Trump was on the verge of ordering a return to major combat operations. But in an interview with Axios, he did not make any new military threats.
Trump also didn't express any anger or frustration about the fact that Iran has been holding up an announcement on a deal with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. On Saturday, Iran issued a new list of demands to allow shipping through the strait.
What he's saying: "We are low keying it," Trump said during a brief phone call.
"We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money."
He stressed that Iran "is in very bad shape" economically and has no money to pay its troops. The U.S. naval blockade has exacerbated the Iranian regime's economic crisis, Trump said.
At the same time, Trump said that with oil down to slightly over $75 a barrel, U.S. consumers are feeling less pain from the war.
"It will work out. It always works out. It's like a chess game," Trump said of the back-and-forth with Iran. Driving the news: An agreement governing traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was negotiated among Iran, Oman and the U.S. and has been pending for a few days now.
As part of the new deal, Iran would be given partial control over traffic in the strait — something it didn't have before the war.
Qatari and Pakistani mediators were confident the deal would be announced Wednesday, but since then its prospects have seemed to fade.
U.S. officials also say there are growing disagreements inside the Iranian regime. One camp, led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, is extremely worried about an economic collapse and believes Iran needs to reach a deal with the U.S. Another led by the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Ahmad Vahidi, rejects any concessions.
State of play: On Saturday, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, laid out new terms for reopening the strait — on top of those negotiated in the Oman agreement.
Zolghadr said in a statement that in order for the strait to reopen, the U.S. must:
"[N]ever threaten nor insult Iran in any language."
"[P]ermanently end the war against Iran and Iran's allies in Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, and Iraq."
"Lift the naval blockade and withdraw military forces from the surroundings of Iran."
He added a demand for full compensation for war damages, lifting of all sanctions and releasing all Iranian frozen funds.
Until several weeks ago, these demands were a prerequisite for a nuclear deal. Now, Iran is presenting them as conditions just for reopening the strait. A diplomat from one of the mediating countries said Zolghadr's statement reflected the political infighting within the regime.
Behind the scenes: U.S. officials said Trump was leaning toward resuming major combat operations against Iran a week ago but was convinced to de-escalate for now.
One of the officials said the fighting allowed the Iranian regime to avoid dealing with the consequences of the war, the damage to infrastructure and the deep economic crisis that has been created.
When Iran isn't engaged in war, it is forced to confront a grim reality with no real solutions at hand, the U.S. official said.
At the same time, the U.S. official said, around 8 million barrels of oil are going out of the Gulf every night through the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the U.S. military. The U.S. is going to try and get more oil out as long as there is no deal.
What to watch: ״This thing is not over. It's obviously not at the beginning. We're in the middle of the game, and we're applying a whole host of tools — diplomatic, economic, military tools — to ensure that we get the best outcome for the American people," Vice President Vance told Fox News on Saturday.
They are cockroaches. They will survive.
I’m glad Trump was not President in 1945.... we would still be threatening Germany, and placing sanctions on Japan.
Iran is playing Trump like a fiddle and just stalling for the November elections.
Those countries are going to have to radically change their defense strategies and capabilities to make such an alliance worth any more than the paper it is written on.
Saudi, except for a few elite units that exist mainly to protect the Royal Family, can’t fight worth a cr**.
None have serious power projection capability.
Turkey and Pakistan are economic basket cases.
None have shown real capacity to think out of the box.
Should I continue?
Who controls the Strait of Hormuz? Ask the countries who are trying to get ships through. These countries are making deals with Iran.
I fear our President listened to bad advice at the very beginning and is trying to make it work, but the realities are very different from what his idiot advisor told him.
Ships are and have been getting through the straits on a daily basis. Why do you think the price of oil has dropped?
In a couple of years the straits will not even be a discussion anymore as most of the oil will flow through underground pipelines.
Iran says this, Iran says that. Most of its BS on any given day. Most likely in a few months that regime will be gone from within.
Yes, ships are getting through. Because of deals that countries are making with Iran. Because Iran can easily bomb big, slow-moving tankers with cheap drones.
Strangling regimes with this sort of pressure has a poor record of success.
Another problem is, a new Congress in a few months may subvert any chance Trump has to finish this off. Trump MUST recognize this, but he seems to be very overconfident.
(Confidence is an interesting thing. Too little, and the consequences usually are not good. But, too much, and the consequences are often catastrophic.)
Even in the best case, IMO the mullahs & IRGC will drag Iran down to North Korea economic levels or worse, if that is what it takes to survive. They don’t give a crap about the people, and if millions die, they’ll accuse the US of causing it and 3/4 of the world (if not more) will stupidly agree.
Trump can quickly render these bastards hopelessly crippled if he’d just take out their refined products. 100 strikes, mostly with cheap ukie style drones would do the job. We might need a few bombs for a few of the import facilities, but drones will suffice for the distillation towers and major storage.
Keeping likely attempts at repairs suppressed would likely require several hundred more drones. If we don’t have the drones, hang somebody(s) for gross incompetence and horse-trade with Z-Man — I hear he wants any Patriots he can get...
Let’s see the mullahs and IRGC try to run Iran without refined products. This has no effect on oil output because Iran’s refined product supply is virtually all for internal use. Some years they even have to (net) import some.
This might be thought of as a sort of strangulation, but, it’s more like quickly putting Iran in a straight-jacket, with minimal effort needed.
Is Trump ornery enough to do it? A few months ago I’d have said “absolutely”. Now, I am not so sure.
Like I’ve said before Trump is creating conditions to allow for the regime to be taken down from within. The straits will be moot in a couple of years anyway as 70% of the oil will be shipped through underground pipelines. He’s playing the Iranians at their own game. One day he says this, the next day he says that.
With air dominance, we have a lot of weapons options, and big stocks of most alternatives, except the missile interceptors. The interceptors are going to take years to replace. The alternative there, of course, is to step up shooting the archers.
Aaaand, another TDS troll makes itself known...
Walmart is the cheapest around.
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