Trump Hints at Easing Pressure on Iranian Oil, Sparks Pros and Cons
US President Donald Trump has signaled that he may ease his “maximum pressure” campaign policy against Iran. This is evident from his recent comments that China can now buy oil from Iran again. This statement is quite surprising, because Trump previously banned all countries from buying Iranian oil or petrochemical products since last May.
The comments were made shortly after Trump stated that Iran and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire after nearly two weeks of conflict. At the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Trump also added that Iran “needs money to rebuild its country” and did not seem to mind if Iran sold oil again. This attitude seems to be at odds with the tough policies he has implemented since his first term.
Trump’s statement has drawn mixed reactions. Several foreign policy observers believe that now is the right time to increase pressure on Iran, not reduce it. Behnam Ben Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said that after the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the US should impose sanctions so that Iran cannot recover quickly. On the other hand, Bloomberg Economics analyst Dina Esfandiary said that Trump may be preparing a new negotiating strategy with Iran, in which sanctions relief could be used as a bargaining chip.
The main focus of this policy is the purchase of oil by China, which is Iran's largest oil consumer. Although Iranian oil shipments to China have slowed due to sanctions, most of it still continues through indirect means. Some fear that reopening Iran's oil access could strengthen the country's military and proxy network. However, if Trump is serious about reopening diplomacy, sanctions relief could be a major negotiating tool.
Source: (ayu-newsmaker)
