Trump pushes for negotiations with Iran amid new sanctions, pressure campaign

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed a readiness to revive negotiations with Iran, despite signing a new executive order on February 4. While the details of the order remain undisclosed, it is evident that Trump is intensifying pressure on Iran, with a particular focus on curbing its oil exports.

In a conversation with reporters, Trump expressed his internal conflict about signing the executive order, stating, “So this is one I’m torn about. Everyone wants me to sign it. I’ll do that.” However, he added, “I’m unhappy to do it,” stressing that the goal was to remain “strong and firm”, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

While the precise form of the pressure campaign remains unclear, Trump emphasized his hope that the measures would not need to be fully implemented. “I hope that it’s not going to have to be used in any great measure at all,” he said.

During a February 4 press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump invited Iran to enter into negotiations aimed at dismantling its nuclear infrastructure, which has been rebuilt in recent years. The new deal, however, would likely extend beyond the nuclear issue to include limiting Iran’s financial and military support to groups like Hezbollah and Hamas.

Trump reiterated his stance on sanctions, vowing to enforce “the most aggressive possible sanctions to drive Iranian oil exports to zero” and to reduce Iran’s capacity to fund terror. “When I was in office, Iran was not able to sell oil,” he claimed, although this statement has been challenged by analysts who note that Iran’s oil exports did still occur, albeit at a significantly reduced level during the Trump administration.

The proposed pressure campaign follows Trump’s previous efforts in 2018 to withdraw the U.S. from the nuclear agreement with Iran, an action he still defends as a success. However, most analysts argue that it backfired, as European powers did not align with the U.S. sanctions, and Iran subsequently resumed large-scale uranium enrichment.

Despite the aggressive stance, Trump has not ruled out the possibility of negotiations. He expressed hope that Iran would “make a deal” and said he would prefer to avoid direct conflict, stating that he would like to see Iran become “a great and prosperous country,” but one without nuclear weapons.

Trump made his sentiments clear in a post on his Truth Social account: “I want Iran to be a great and successful country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon. Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED. I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper.”

Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, who assumed office last July following the tragic death of his predecessor, has also expressed a desire to negotiate a new agreement, adding further complexity to the situation.

By Vugar Khalilov