As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington, Donald Trump signed a new executive order aimed at continuing the policy of maximum pressure against Iran. Even before Netanyahu’s trip, it was anticipated that he would try to leverage the Gaza ceasefire and the issue of prisoner exchanges—matters that have become politically sensitive for Trump—to extract further concessions from the U.S. Facing severe domestic pressure after the 15-month war in Gaza, Netanyahu seeks to use his commitment to the ceasefire and prisoner exchanges as a way to secure greater American support.
Meanwhile, Trump, who still perceives international affairs as he did during his first term, succumbed to Netanyahu’s pressure and signed the new executive order against Iran. Unlike his first term, when he eagerly turned such moves into media spectacles, this time, after signing the order, he admitted that the decision had been difficult for him and that he had hesitated before issuing it.
Trump remarked, "I hope we won’t have to use it too much. I’m not happy about doing this."
His words suggest that this move was more a result of Netanyahu’s influence than a genuine strategic decision.
The executive order accuses Tehran of supporting Hamas and the Houthis and calls for intensified sanctions, including halting oil exports to China. However, given that previous sanctions have yielded no tangible results, this latest action—especially in the current climate—is unlikely to lead anywhere but further decline.
Netanyahu’s strategy: Gaining concessions through crisis creation
Facing severe political turmoil and widespread protests within Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu is attempting to use his trip to the U.S. to strengthen his position.
The ongoing war in Gaza, with no decisive victory in sight, has weakened his standing, and mounting domestic pressure has put his right-wing coalition government at risk of collapse. In response, he is leveraging the issues of a ceasefire and prisoner exchanges to extract concessions from Trump—concessions that include greater U.S. support for Israeli policies in the West Bank, pressure on Arab states to normalize ties with Tel Aviv, and increased pressure on Iran.
Pressure on Iran and Trump’s executive order
For some time, Netanyahu has been pushing the narrative that Iran is on the brink of collapse, hoping to persuade Trump to take an even tougher stance against Tehran. Trump’s recent executive order is a direct outcome of this pressure.
The order holds Iran responsible for Hamas’s October 7 attack and Houthi assaults, emphasizing that "Iran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons." Additionally, it seeks to escalate economic pressure on Tehran by blocking oil exports to China, curbing Iran’s missile program, and limiting its regional influence. However, as past experience has shown, these policies have repeatedly failed—and there is little reason to believe this time will be any different.
Israel’s interests in the West Bank and normalization with Saudi Arabia
During his visit to Washington, Netanyahu sought greater support for expanding illegal settlements and weakening the Palestinian Authority. He also hopes to advance the normalization process with Saudi Arabia without making concessions to the Palestinians. However, regional obstacles—particularly Saudi Arabia’s insistence on not ignoring the Palestinian issue—have made this goal difficult to achieve.
Trump and the illusion of returning to the past
Trump signed a new executive order against Iran despite the fact that previous sanctions—whether under his own administration or Biden’s—have failed to force Tehran into altering its policies. This order, which calls for maximum pressure, halting Iran’s oil exports, and restricting its missile program, is essentially an attempt to revert to the pre-2020 political landscape. Yet in reality, it will do little to change the strategic equation.
From the failure of the trade war to the failure of maximum pressure on Iran
Trump, who was forced to backtrack in his tariff war after facing strong international backlash and domestic opposition—particularly from Canada and Mexico—now seems to be following the same failed pattern. The executive order against Iran, signed under Netanyahu’s direct influence, is likely to meet the same fate as his trade war: failure. Sanctions that have already proven ineffective will not suddenly yield different results through repetition.
This decision is doomed to fail. Iran’s adoption of new economic strategies and its membership in powerful regional alliances such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Eurasian Economic Union have strengthened its economic resilience. By expanding its network of regional and international partners, Iran is minimizing the impact of U.S. sanctions, making Washington’s pressure tactics increasingly obsolete.
Trump falls into Netanyahu’s trap
Facing intense domestic pressure after his failure in the Gaza war, Netanyahu has resorted to fabricating narratives about Iran to deceive Trump. By exaggerating the Iranian threat, he aims to secure greater U.S. support for Tel Aviv while simultaneously managing Israel’s internal crisis. However, Trump—still oblivious to the shifting global dynamics—has walked into this trap, taking a path that offers no real benefits for Washington.
Trump’s new executive order against Iran is the direct result of Netanyahu’s pressure to compensate for his domestic and regional failures. This policy, built on the illusion of Iran’s collapse and a renewed push for maximum pressure, is destined to fail. Having seen sanctions produce no meaningful results in the past, Trump has once again fallen for Netanyahu’s tactics—taking an action that will have little practical effect.
At a time when Iran has expanded its economic and regional partnerships, repeating failed strategies will do nothing to alter the balance of power.
NOURNEWS