More than 2,300 years after Alexander the Great is said to have confronted the Gordian Knot while pursuing the Persian Empire, President Trump and his administration face their own conundrum in Iran. Mr. Trump is caught between political constraints that prevent using adequate military force to change Tehran’s behavior and a defiant regime willing to risk severe economic pain to rebuff Washington’s demands.
Slicing through this Gordian Knot and arriving at a satisfactory outcome, namely a subdued or new government in Tehran, depends on two lines of effort: waging economic warfare against the regime’s revenue sources and rallying partners to undermine Iran and its proxy network in the region. Mr. Trump should give Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio a blank check to strangle the Iranian economy—above all, sources of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps funding—and to launch a focused diplomatic effort. This effort would be backed by judicious use of force, leveraging regional allies’ capabilities to kneecap pro-Iran militias in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran’s divided leadership is already on the back foot internally and regionally. The Trump administration can damage the regime in both theaters and hasten its demise. Much work remains to degrade Iran’s ability to unleash proxies to attack America’s Gulf allies, Israel or U.S. interests elsewhere—as well as its ability to dictate political developments in Beirut and Baghdad. President Trump should empower Mr. Rubio to enlist Arab allies in a campaign to weaken Iran and its regional proxies. The Trump administration is no different: The president is unlikely to commit to a sustained bombing campaign, let alone boots on the ground. Fortunately, Mr.
Domestically, four popular uprisings since 2018—including nationwide protests this year—illustrate the Iranian people’s discontent with dire economic conditions brought on by the policies of a doctrinaire, venal and inept regime. The already frail economy is reeling from an estimated $270 billion in damage to infrastructure from U.S. and Israeli airstrikes—equivalent to about 60% of Iran’s annual output. Political and other domestic constraints have hobbled American presidents’ willingness to commit the military force necessary to achieve their objectives for the past 35 years. Trump—like Alexander the Great in 333 B.C.—has a way forward, one requiring patience and coalition-building, reinforced by military threats and actions.
