Treasury Targets Iran’s Oil Network In New Sanctions As Trump Stuns By Talking Deal

President Donald Trump has been notoriously hawkish on Iran, as have some of his top national security officials, which is why it was surprising and refreshing for his rhetoric to take a different track in Wednesday statements. Responding to reports that the US and Israel are preparing scenarios to attack Iran and its nuclear sites, Trump stated Wednesday that these reports are “greatly exaggerated” and said that making a deal would be preferable instead.

“I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper. We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed. God Bless the Middle East!” Trump added.

During his first administration, Trump unilaterally pulled the United States out of the JCPOA nuclear deal with Iran in 2018, which had been implemented during the Obama administration, and involved the other P5+1 countries of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, as well as the European Union.

He also dropped a surprise bombshell upon signing the new executive order to reimpose “maximum pressure” on the Islamic Republic, though it’s been woefully underreported in the media: 

“There are many people at the top ranks of Iran that do not want to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said in the Oval Office.

Still, Trump claimed when he signed it that he was “unhappy” to do it – perhaps revealing it as leverage and part of his big stick approach which can induce a better deal down the road.

Iran and Mideast regional analyst Trita Parsi commented on how unexpected and significant these words are for a sitting American president:

I cannot recall any U.S. president ever deviating from the quasi-official American line that Tehran is dead set on getting nukes. U.S. officials rarely allow any nuance, or any shades of gray: Iranians always want a nuclear weapon and the only way to stop them from getting one is by preventing them from having access to the necessary material, know-how, or technology. If they have access, they will invariably build a bomb. It’s an unchallengeable certainty.

The 2007 National Intelligence Estimate on Iran caused a major controversy for simply assessing that Iran did not have an active nuclear weapons program, even though it also concluded “with moderate-to-high confidence that Tehran at a minimum is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons.”

That is: Iran still wanted a bomb but appeared to have temporarily paused its pursuit of one.

In the meantime, as of Thursday, maximum pressure has formally gone into effect as the US Treasury implements sanctions on the international Iranian oil transport network.

“This action is consistent with the President’s February 4 National Security Presidential Memorandum directing the Treasury Department and other U.S. government agencies to enact maximum economic pressure on Iran in order to deny all paths to a nuclear weapon and counter Iran’s malign influence,” the fresh Treasuring notification said. It announced that this will deprive the country of hundreds of millions of dollars for its military machine.

Trump stuns…

In a rare break from Washington dogma, Trump said what no U.S. president has dared: Some top Iranian leaders do not want a nuclear weapon. A major shift in the narrative that has fueled decades of hawkish policy. #Iran https://t.co/E3YepAIbWz

— Responsible Statecraft (@RStatecraft) February 6, 2025

Tehran is seeking to rally OPEC to its side after Trump threatened to take Iran’s crudel exports to zero:

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian urged OPEC members to unite against possible U.S. sanctions on the major oil producer, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would seek to drive Tehran’s oil exports to zero.

Iranian crude oil exports currently stand at around 1.5 million barrels per day, with the majority going to China. The loss of such a volume, equal to about 1.4% of total world supply, would be significant for markets.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent further announced the US is aggressively targeting Iranian efforts to use oil revenues to bolster its nuclear program, develop ballistic missiles, and support its terror proxies. Will this serve to bring Tehran and the Trump administration to the negotiating table? It looks calculated to do so, at least.