Washington –
Seven weeks of war have failed to topple Iran’s theocratic rulers or force them to meet all of President Donald Trump’s demands, but for U.S. adversaries and allies it has cast a spotlight on one of his central vulnerabilities: economic pressure.
Even with Iran’s announcement on Friday that it was reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping — an announcement that was quickly reversed just hours later — the Middle East crisis has revealed the limits of Trump’s willingness to tolerate domestic economic pain.
Trump joined Israel in attacking Iran on Feb. 28 based on what he said were imminent security threats, especially over its nuclear program. But now, with U.S. gasoline prices high, inflation rising and his approval ratings down, Trump is racing to secure a diplomatic deal that could stem the fallout at home.