US escalates economic war on Iran

Trump’s threat won’t have the desired effect, says The Irish Times:

“There is little reason to believe that it will shorten the war, as Trump promised. Nor will it help, ahead of the US midterm elections, to bring down prices at petrol pumps, now as much a function of the global shortage of refining capacity as of crude oil shortages. … The idea that the US can quickly cut off Iran’s imports and exports, or its access to cash, is fanciful. … Trump’s new offensive will inflict more pain on Iran, but is likely to fail as surely as his military campaign, which has run into the sand.”