Trump’s Iran Oil Comments Strain His ‘Maximum Pressure’ Policy

President Donald Trump indicated that he might be preparing to ease his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, potentially undercutting a central policy dating to his first term and provoking consternation among foreign policy hawks who argue that now is the time to escalate — not lessen — pressure on Tehran.

Days after US airstrikes that he said had “totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities, the president posted on social media that “China can now continue to purchase oil from Iran.” That was a dramatic shift from May when he asserted all purchases of Iranian oil and petrochemical products “must stop, NOW!”