CONFLICTED

Trump's Strangulation Strategy

Dienstag, 1. September 2026 · 58 min

MP3

Shownotes

Aimen's prediction on 4 August came true, and in the intervening weeks the United States have ramped up the economic pressure on the Iranian regime. The question is: how with the IRGC react? The war re-escalated over the weekend, and as the Iranian people began to make their feelings felt, all indications are that peace is farther away than ever.

Aimen and Thomas discuss:

• Operation Economic Outcast: US sanctions and regional trade restrictions tighten Iran’s economic isolation.

• Strait of Hormuz: US demining, Gulf oil exports and Iran’s new underwater drone threat reshape the naval war.

• Iran’s economic crisis: collapsing rial, inflation, shortages and possible unrest increase pressure on the IRGC.

• UAE-Iran trade: Dubai’s historic commercial role shrinks as Gulf states join Washington’s economic campaign.

• US strategy in the Gulf: Trump administration cohesion, long-term military deployment and growing concern about China.

• Iran escalation risks: attacks on Gulf infrastructure, domestic repression and renewed US-Iran fighting.

• Tactical nuclear weapons: Aimen warns the conflict could cross the nuclear threshold if escalation continues.

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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

Produced and edited by Thomas Small.

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