Trump squeezes Iran with maximum pressure — why it hasn’t forced a breakthrough
The Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign against Iran, including military strikes and economic blockades, has not yielded the desired diplomatic concessions. Despite killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and disrupting oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's hardline regime remains intact under his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei. Analysts argue that Iran has effectively absorbed the pressure, questioning whether U.S. strategy can achieve political breakthroughs without regime change.
- ▪The U.S. killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and numerous top officials, yet the regime has remained resilient.
- ▪Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded his father as Iran's leader, maintaining hardline control.
- ▪A naval blockade has disrupted Iranian oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route.
- ▪U.S. officials hoped pressure would force Iran back to negotiations, but no significant concessions have been made.
- ▪Analyst Aaron David Miller compared Iran's leadership to North Korea's, suggesting it is resistant to external pressure.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Ali Khamenei Trump squeezes Iran with maximum pressure — why it hasn’t forced a breakthrough Analysts say Iran has proven more capable of absorbing pressure than Washington has been able to convert it into gains By Morgan Phillips Fox News Published April 28, 2026 5:00am EDT Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Rubio WARNS Iran: US won't tolerate threats to global waterways Sec. of State Marco Rubio warned that the regime cannot be allowed to 'normalize' control over international waterways after President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel a diplomatic mission to Pakistan reportedly forced a 'better' offer from Iran.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Fox News.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Fox News
