Independent political analyst Alex Alfilraz Sheils said Washington’s push to reimpose “maximum economic pressure” on Iran risks repeating measures from Trump’s first term that ultimately failed. He argued that earlier deterrent effects owed to policy uncertainty, but that the president has “lost credibility” in a second term, weakening US leverage with other states and reducing the likely effectiveness of secondary sanctions on Iran. Sheils blamed strategic errors — including policy oscillation

Independent political analyst Alex Alfilraz Sheils said Washington’s push to reimpose “maximum economic pressure” on Iran risks repeating measures from Trump’s first term that ultimately failed. He argued that earlier deterrent effects owed to policy uncertainty, but that the president has “lost credibility” in a second term, weakening US leverage with other states and reducing the likely effectiveness of secondary sanctions on Iran. Sheils blamed strategic errors — including policy oscillation and unclear use of military, governance and diplomatic tools — as factors undermining US geopolitical influence.