Trump Says U.S. Will ‘Beat’ Iran Economically As He Weighs Three Strategies
President Donald Trump says the United States has several options remaining in its confrontation with Iran as he considers what direction to take after months of warfare, negotiations and a fragile cease-fire.
One approach, according to Trump, would require neither an immediate military escalation nor a new agreement with Tehran, because he believes pressure already being applied by Washington could eventually produce the result he wants.
Trump said Tuesday that the United States could continue an “easy, relaxed” strategy of applying economic pressure against Iran, declaring during an interview with Wayne Allyn Root of Real America’s Voice, “I’m their banker.”
Trump said his administration is considering three broad strategies as it determines how to proceed with Iran following the breakdown of a memorandum of understanding signed in June.
“We could just keep it alone, and they’re going to fail,” Trump said.
“We could just keep, you know, doing sort of just like nice and easy, relaxed,” the president continued.
Trump expressed frustration with Iranian officials during the interview, accusing Tehran’s representatives of changing their public descriptions of agreements after negotiations.
“I’m sort of negotiating,” Trump said.
“You see, they’re very devious negotiators because they’ll agree to something, then they’ll go out and tell the press that they never agreed to it,” he continued.
“They’re very dishonest people,” Trump added.
The president then outlined what he described as the three potential strategies available to his administration.
“We have three strategies,” Trump declared.
The first, he said, would essentially maintain the current approach while allowing Iran’s economic problems to intensify.
“Do what I’m doing now, just bop along and look how bad they’re doing because their nation’s, they’ve got 300% inflation,” Trump said.
“They have no value. Their currency has almost no value. They’re not paying their soldiers. Their soldiers are leaving,” he continued.
“So just keep that going because that’s not sustainable,” Trump said.
Trump described the second possibility in significantly more direct military terms.
Another option, he said, would be to “hit them really, really hard.”
The president said his third option would focus specifically on defeating Iran through economic pressure, although he acknowledged that strategy overlaps significantly with his administration’s current approach.
“Or really the third is just beat them economically, but we’re doing that anyway,” Trump said.
“That’s sort of a part of the first one,” he continued.
Trump argued that American control over Iran’s access to money gives Washington substantial leverage over Tehran.
“So economically, they are a mess. They can’t borrow money,” Trump said.
“We control their money, what they had, which is a lot. They had a lot, and we have total control of it,” he added.
Trump then summarized his view of the relationship in unusually personal terms.
“I’m their banker,” Trump said. “I am their banker.”
The Treasury Department said Monday that Iran’s currency has lost approximately 20% of its value during the war and that the administration’s reimposed naval blockade has dramatically reduced Iranian oil exports.
According to Treasury, Iran had been loading approximately 1.8 million barrels of oil per day for export before the war, compared with roughly 500,000 barrels per day under the current restrictions.
The conflict began Feb. 28, although a cease-fire has been in place since April 8 as the administration has pursued negotiations.
Trump signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17, but that arrangement began unraveling last month after Iran attacked commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
BREAKING: Dolly Parton’s Cause Of Death Revealed: ‘Brief Battle’
Dolly Parton’s death came after a brief battle with cancer, her representatives revealed Tuesday.
The country music legend died Aug. 25 at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville. She was 80.
Parton had been admitted to the cancer center Friday, four days before her death. Her representatives confirmed the cancer diagnosis in a statement to PEOPLE but did not disclose what type she had.
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand,” the statement read.
“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones,” the statement concluded.
The “Jolene” singer had also been dealing with kidney and autoimmune issues before her death, PEOPLE previously reported.
Just days earlier, Dolly Parton opened up about her declining health and acknowledged that she had put off addressing some medical issues while caring for her husband, Carl.
“As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over [my husband] Carl. You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this. Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” Parton told PEOPLE.
Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced her death in an Instagram video Tuesday on behalf of the Parton and Owens family.
“My name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” he says in the video.
Seaver, who served as Parton’s head of security for more than two decades, said she had asked him years earlier to deliver the announcement.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” he continued. “As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.”
Seaver said the moment brought immense pride and heartbreak, but he took comfort in his faith that Parton had been reunited with Carl and other loved ones.
Seaver added: “It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless othe
