Trump keeping ‘low key’ approach to Iran, choosing economic blows over military strikes: report

President Trump said Sunday that he would keep a “low-key” approach to the Iran war, signaling a willingness to allow economic pressures to crush Tehran rather than start a new military offensive.

After threatening to resume America’s military campaign last week, Trump said he was open to a more hands-off approach as Iran’s economy continues to plummet amid the war.

“We are low-keying it,” Trump told Axios. “We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money.”

President Trump arriving in Washington, DC on Aug. 9, 2026. Getty Images

Trump notably did not attach any threats of additional strikes to Iran in his remarks, a rare occurrence after spending weeks warning of big blows coming to the Islamic republic if it did not submit to his demands.

Iran’s economy has been in a free fall since late last year, with its rial currency falling to record-low levels as the cost of basic commodities soar.

Grocery prices, specifically, have shot up since war broke out with the US in February, with bread up 140%, dairy up 116.8% and food and drink prices overall up 113.8%, according to the Statistical Center of Iran.

Trump said the economic troubles have been exacerbated by the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, leaving the Islamic regime “in very bad shape.”

“It will work out. It always works out. It’s like a chess game,” Trump said of the current situation.

Smoke rising after an airstrike in Ahvas, Iran on July 30, 2026. Social Media via REUTERS

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian recently addressed the dire situation in the country as he accused the US of “exerting pressure in an attempt to provoke the people into protesting.”

The Islamic Republic underwent mass protests earlier this year over the failing economy, triggering national unrest and a brutal crackdown by the regime.

The current situation has gotten so bad that some Iranians have been reportedly forced to start stealing groceries and foregoing medical treatment to survive.

An explosion seen in Iran in a video released by US Central Command on July 29, 2026. via REUTERS

Despite the economic pressures, Iran’s hardliners and military leaders have repeatedly said the country will endure the hardships so long as it can achieve its war goals, including controlling the Strait of Hormuz.

Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council head, said over the weekend that the strait will only reopen once the US agrees to concede the war and lift all sanctions on Tehran.

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