00:00Iran may be preparing a three-step economic war designed to hurt President Donald Trump
00:06politically and potentially threaten his presidency.
00:10A report published on August 20th claims that a senior Iranian official familiar with the
00:16planning described a strategy focused on one of America's biggest economic vulnerabilities,
00:21oil.
00:22The reported objective?
00:24Drive energy prices higher, fuel inflation, damage consumer confidence, and make the economic
00:31pain impossible for the Trump administration to ignore.
00:35And the timing may be deliberate, with the 2026 midterm elections approaching.
00:41Here's the reported three-step strategy.
00:44Step 1.
00:45Hit the oil bypass routes.
00:47The report says Iran could target major alternative energy routes through Saudi Arabia and the
00:53United Arab Emirates.
00:55Two locations specifically mentioned are Saudi Arabia's Yenbu Terminal on the Red Sea and
01:01the UAE's Fujairah Terminal.
01:04These routes allow oil to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and keep some exports moving even
01:10when shipping through the waterway is disrupted.
01:12The reported strategy would be to hit those alternatives and further tighten global oil
01:18supplies.
01:19Step 2.
01:20Shut down the Strait of Hormuz.
01:22The report says Iran could then move toward completely stopping the remaining oil traffic
01:28through the strategic waterway.
01:30That would mean targeting vessels and networks supporting continued shipments through Hormuz.
01:36The goal would be to push oil flows through the strait toward zero.
01:40And that brings us to the third step.
01:43Step 3.
01:44Turn an oil crisis into a political crisis for Trump.
01:48The theory is straightforward.
01:50Less oil supply means higher crude prices.
01:53Higher crude prices can mean higher gasoline prices.
01:57Higher gasoline prices can feed inflation and increase pressure on American consumers.
02:02And if Americans are paying substantially more at the pump heading into the midterms, the political
02:09consequences could be severe for Trump and Republicans.
02:13Iranian advisor Majid Shaqari has separately argued that Tehran should raise oil-related tensions
02:19before the midterms.
02:21That has fueled speculation that Iran could view America's political calendar as another battlefield.
02:27The ultimate objective, according to this reported strategy, would not simply be to hurt the U.S. economy.
02:34It would be to turn economic pain into political pressure on Trump.
02:39But there is a major warning.
02:41The detailed three-step plan comes primarily from one report, citing an anonymous Iranian official.
02:49And the specific operational sequence has not been independently confirmed by major international
02:55news organizations.
02:57Iran would also face enormous risks.
03:00An attack on Gulf energy infrastructure or an attempt to completely shut Hormuz could trigger
03:06a massive U.S. and regional military response.
03:09Still, the reported strategy highlights a dangerous new dimension of the U.S.-Iran confrontation.
03:17Trump is trying to economically squeeze Iran into submission.
03:21Iran, according to this report, could be preparing to hit back by squeezing America's oil supply,
03:27inflation, and voters' wallets.
03:30And with the midterms approaching, the question becomes increasingly explosive.
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