Economics
Iran Shows Trump That It’s Too Big to Be Crushed or Marginalized
- Alleged attack on Saudi oil facility part of wider strategy
- High risk tactical victories aren’t forcing sanctions relief
This article is for subscribers only.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump warned that “it’s going to be a bad problem for Iran if something happens.” Something big has happened with an attack on Saudi oil infrastructure, and yet the administration in Washington looks like the one with the problem.
After leading voices in the Trump administration laid the blame squarely on Iran, it isn’t obvious how the U.S. can effectively retaliate against a country that is already under maximum economic sanctions. Iran is too big for the U.S. to invade even if there were appetite among U.S. voters for another Gulf war, and has demonstrated its ability to strike back hard should the U.S. decide to escalate.