Secretary of State Marco Rubio has informed allies that the White House is not preparing new attacks on Iran and will instead focus on enforcing sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
US officials speaking with Axios said Rubio told allies that the US was not planning any attacks on Iran, and any strikes on the Islamic Republic would only be to respond to IRGC missile or drone attacks. The White House will focus on enforcing sanctions on Iran.
Earlier this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new economic war against Iran dubbed Operation Economic Outcast. He compared the new sanctions to an economic “D-Day.”
However, many of Iran’s remaining trading partners are unlikely to step up sanctions enforcement against Tehran. Iran’s largest trading partner, China, has denounced Operation Economic Outcast. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian told reporters on Tuesday, “Cooperation between China and Iran has always been conducted within the framework of international law and should not be interfered with or disrupted.
Axios notes that the new approach to the Iran war is “another sign that President Trump is exasperated with the war and wants it to be over, at least for now.” One official said that he expected the current strategy to last at least through the midterm election.
President Donald Trump believed that the war against Iran would result in a quick victory. Six months into the conflict, Tehran is in a better strategic position than before the war. On Wednesday, Iran announced a new deal with Oman for charging fees in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said on Wednesday that he has no plans to return to talks with Iran. “I have no time schedule, none. I’m not in a hurry. I have no time schedule at all,” Trump told Al Jazeera.
While a US official told Axios that the economic war against Iran is working and the US is now in control of the Strait of Hormuz, earlier this week, Saudi-state media reported that Washington had offered to lift sanctions on Tehran if Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz.
