The Donald Trump administration insisted today that ratcheted up financial and diplomatic pressure has cut into Iran’s profit margins amid the downing of an American drone in the Strait of Hormuz.
But though top US officials have asserted that the "maximum pressure" campaign seeks to halt Tehran-backed proxies and bring the Islamic Republic to the table for fresh talks, an expert said the American effort could backfire, failing to cripple Iran’s economy and turning the population against the United States.