Inside Trump’s Economic War on Iran

Originally published by the Wall Street Journal

As the U.S. works to eliminate the threats from the Iranian regime, the economic dimension is as crucial as the military one. The U.S. initiated Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28 to target Iran’s nuclear sites, ballistic-missile facilities and command centers. On April 16, the Pentagon, in coordination with the Treasury, announced Operation Economic Fury, a campaign cutting off the regime’s global terror financing and revenue streams. This economic stranglehold may be the best way to build leverage over the Iranian regime while further eroding its ability to escalate.

Operation Economic Fury has two main parts: a sanctions campaign, coordinated by Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, that restricts the financial and logistical flows to the regime, and a naval blockade that restricts all vessels entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas.

As of May 23, the naval blockade has redirected more than 100 vessels and involved more than 15,000 troops. The blockade primarily aims at a key pressure point: Iran’s energy revenue. Oil and natural gas account for 82% of Iranian export revenue, funding the regime’s military, nuclear program and proxies.

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