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Trump to Renew "Maximum Pressure" Campaign Against Iran
(Wall Street Journal) Warren P. Strobel - President-elect Donald Trump plans to drastically increase sanctions on Iran and throttle its oil sales as part of an aggressive strategy to undercut Tehran's support of violent Mideast proxies and its nuclear program. Trump took a dim view of Iran during his first term and imposed a "maximum pressure" strategy. Trump's approach to Iran is likely to be colored by the knowledge that its agents tried to assassinate him and former top national security aides after they left office, former Trump officials said. People briefed on Trump's plans and in touch with his top advisers said the new team would move rapidly to try to choke off Iran's oil income, including going after foreign ports and traders who handle Iranian oil, re-creating the strategy that the former president adopted in his first term. "You are going to see much more, both diplomatically and financially, they are trying to isolate Iran," a former White House official said. "Iran is definitely in a position of weakness right now, and now is an opportunity to exploit that weakness."