On the night of his 2024 presidential victory, Donald J. Trump proudly announced “I’m not going to start wars, I’m going to stop wars.” He pledged that “we will bring prices down… and export American energy all over the world.” Limited international involvement and increased domestic manufacturing were the promises made to republicans in the 2024 presidential election. Those promises were broken. Trump’s involvement in Iran is not only a direct violation of his campaign promises, but a historically ineffective and domestically costly mistake.
The United State’s concern over Iran’s nuclear capabilities has been a long-time source of animosity between the rivaling nations. Domestically, both republicans and democrats can agree that Iran’s enriched uranium levels and noncompliance with the International Atomic Energy Agency is worthy of concern. Under the Obama administration, the JCPOA provided relief from the U.S.’s crippling sanctions in exchange for Iranian nuclear restrictions. However, even in his first term Trump favored a ‘maximum pressure’ approach to dealing with the Iranian threat. He withdrew the U.S. from the JCPOA deal, much to the dismay of allies like the UK, France, and Germany. Shortly afterwards, Iran resumed its enrichment past acceptable NPT levels. Despite election promises of ‘America first’ policies and no overseas wars, Operation Epic Fury of his second term was simply an expansion of the original ‘maximum pressure’ approach.
Through sanctions and military operations Trump aims to force Iran to comply with U.S. standards. Historically, this approach has been ineffective and it will continue to drive Iran further away. Indeed, the effective collapse of Iran’s reformist movement was a direct result of the extreme US action which contributed to Iran’s descent into anti-West extremism. Trump’s desertion of the JCPOA deal, despite Iran proven to have been in full compliance, eradicated the credibility of moderate Iranian reformists who supported negotiations with the U.S. Now, considering the ongoing ceasefire, Iran has been living with international sanctions and a struggling economy for years; threatening more of it has only historically disincentivized negotiations. Instead, Trump should abide by his campaign promises and pursue conflict-free, mutually beneficial solutions with Iran.
Domestically, the high gas prices resulting from the Strait of Hormuz blockade have impacted American opinions regardless of their level of concern about Iran. According to D’Angelo Gore, the current average price for a gallon of gas is $4.50 compared with only a $2.94 average the week before Iran was attacked. Gas prices, no matter the presidency, have a disproportionate influence over the general public’s political opinions. While a leader may make international headlines or pass meaningful legislation, what consistently impacts every American, whether or not they stay updated with the news, is the price of gas. A president’s ability to keep the price low is directly correlated to their voter satisfaction levels. Therefore, Trump admitting that he’s motivated “not even a little bit” by Americans’ financial concerns according to USA Today is extremely concerning. With millions of Americans already struggling with high inflation rates, the public needs a leader who will listen to their concerns and deliver on campaign promises.
