Amir Goiti, a member of Iran International’s editorial team, said that Donald Trump’s recent remarks show that he is aware of the crackdown on protests in Iran and of the performance of the Islamic Republic’s security apparatus, while at the same time pursuing economic and military pressures with the aim of weakening the government’s capacity.

He added that Trump has come to believe that continuing economic pressure, alongside weakening the Islamic Republic’s military structure, could bring the government to a point where it no longer has the ability to cover the costs of the crackdown apparatus and maintain its cohesion.