From the Liveblog of
Sunday, August 9, 2026
Trump says US ‘low keying’ Iran approach, giving economic pressure time to work
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleStav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel
US President Donald Trump says Washington is “low keying” its approach to Iran, in a brief phone interview with Barak Ravid of Channel 12 and Axios, signaling that he is prepared to let mounting economic pressure on Tehran take its toll rather than launch a new military offensive.
“We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money,” Trump tells Ravid, just a week after he was close to ordering a resumption of major combat operations.
Trump says Iran is “in very bad shape” economically and lacks funds to pay its troops, arguing that the US naval blockade is exacerbating the crisis. He also notes that oil prices have fallen to slightly above $75 a barrel, easing some of the war’s impact on American consumers.
“It will work out. It always works out. It’s like a chess game,” Trump says.
According to Ravid, Trump made no new threats of renewed military action during the phone call and expressed no apparent frustration over Iran’s delay in finalizing an agreement with Oman regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Times of Israel Community.