Motorcyclists travel past a billboard displaying an image of Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, on April 20. Majid Asgaripour/Wana News Agency/Reuters
A naval blockade by the United States on Iran is suffocating the Islamic Republic’s key economic routes – resulting in a potential oil storage crisis for Tehran and its population struggling with escalating food costs and increasing unemployment.
However, if Washington is not ready to maintain its naval blockade for several more months, it will be challenging to fully dismantle an Iranian economy that has spent years adjusting to US pressure and severe sanctions.
Just three months prior, the Iranian government teetered on the edge of collapse as citizens across the country demonstrated against the inadequate management of the economy.
That same administration received support when the US and Israel initiated their assaults, and it is now leveraging the war as an excuse for severe economic conditions for a population of 92 million.
Despite Iran’s hardships, its leaders will recognize that Trump is also under strain, as the US president confronts increasing domestic backlash regarding the war and the upcoming critical midterm elections.
Tehran might believe that Trump will yield first.
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