Iran: Maximum Pressure and Perfect Storms

A Cracked And Fragile Iran Flag

By Steven Ward

Steven R. Ward is a retired CIA intelligence analyst and consultant who specializes in Middle East security affairs. He is the author of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence: A Concise History, Georgetown University Press, 2024.

Last spring, two weeks after the Trump Administration withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – the international arms control deal that curbed Tehran’s nuclear program – Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a new approach to Iran that, he vowed, included history’s most ‘draconian’ sanctions. This renewed economic warfare and a long list of political and military preconditions for talks were soon labeled a “maximum pressure” strategy.

Steven Ward, Former Senior Analyst, CIA

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