President Trump’s Return to “Maximum Pressure” Against Iran

Description

The re-election of President Trump has already raised a number of security issues for the Middle
East, notably concerning the future of Gazans on their territory, the return of “maximum pressure”
against Iran, as well as the financial sanctioning and visa restrictions imposed against International
Criminal Court (ICC) officials. Such sanctions will have the effect of undermining ICC
efforts to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and crimes of aggression in
the region and more broadly. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s state visit to the White
House in February 2025, the first one in the second Trump administration, is indicative that the
United States is likely to be aligned more closely with Israel over the next four years. President
Trump’s pronouncements on Gaza before and after his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu also show that he will be willing to follow Netanyahu’s regional playbook. On 4
February 2025, the Trump administration returned to a policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran;
a policy which almost resulted in war at the end of President Trump’s first term in 2020. This
article sets out the timeline of US policy towards Iran during the first Trump administration, the
Biden administration, and the road ahead. In conclusion it outlines what options are available to
European decision makers, many of which are already facing a range of domestic and other
foreign policy challenges.

Robert Mason is an Associate Professor at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) in
the UAE where his research focuses on the international relations of the Middle East. The views
expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the AGDA.