The maximum pressure campaign against Iran launched by former U.S. President Donald Trump, considered a non-military war, has been judged a major mistake from the start, according to analysts and officials who revealed details.
From the moment it took office, the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) in 2018 and reimposed harsh economic sanctions to force Tehran to concede on its ballistic missile program and regional activities. However, instead of achieving its goals, the strategy prompted Iran to enrich uranium beyond permitted limits, pushing the country to develop nuclear weapons faster than ever before.
The consequences of the campaign extended beyond the nuclear realm. Escalating tensions led to a series of military incidents, including the U.S. assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in January 2020 and Iran's accidental shootdown of a Ukrainian commercial airliner, killing 176 people. Experts note that instead of isolating Iran, Trump's policy pushed Tehran into a fierce defensive posture and strengthened its ties with Russia and China.
Analysts argue that the core failure of the campaign was a lack of understanding of Iran's internal political dynamics and an underestimation of the country's economic resilience under sanctions. Maintaining a hardline strategy without a diplomatic exit created a vicious cycle of escalation, leaving a legacy of instability for the successor administration and undermining U.S. credibility in the Middle East.
