The following article, Iran’s Currency is Collapsing Under Trump’s Pressure, was first published on The Black Sphere.

Forget your TED-Talk clichés. Imagine a man who didn’t broker peace—he funded ruin, weaponized dollars, and gave Iran’s terror networks an economic wedgie. Here’s the juicy part: in fewer months than his first term, Trump didn’t just slow them down—he twisted the financial knife so hard the rial evaporated.

Act I: Currency Collapse Is the New “Diplomacy”

Enter the new Cold War mantra: cripple the currency, and the enemies crumble. With Trump back in the Oval, Iran’s rial plunged—once 32,000 to the dollar under the 2017 deal, it now trades at over 1,000,000 rials to $1 Congratulations, Tehran—you just played Russian roulette with your economy… and lost.

Act II: The Sequel That Out-performed the Original

I wrote back in 2017,

In all, during the period there were over 142 protests in cities across Iran. And even more shocking, protests happened in all Iranian provinces. In the protests, over 8,000 Iranians were arrested, with estimates that about 50 were killed by the regime.

Then in Feb 2018 in the southwest region of Iran, Arabs protested about the regime. Although the protests were stamped out by the regime, that didn’t stop additional protests.

In fact, only a month later in March 2018 farmers in Ispahan protested over water.

Essentially water that flowed to farmers for generations were dammed by elitists put in power by the Mullahs. The water was diverted by the IRGC, and Iran’s largest salt lake dried to 5 percent of its previous level.

(…)

A restaurant recently advertised to hire dishwashers. With unemployment over 35 percent with under 30-year olds in Iran, it’s no surprise that over 150 people applied. But what’s most surprising who applied.

Shockingly, 30 of the applicants held PhDs. However, even more telling about the Iranian economy has to do with its currency.

About four months ago, the Iranian rial traded at about 35,000 to $1 U.S. Not long after, the currency valued around 60,000 to $1 U.S.

But the value of the rial has plummeted almost daily going from 70,000 to 80,000, and quickly 100,000 to $1 U.S.

To recap, over 4 months, the Iranian rial has lost over 65 percent of its value, with most of the devaluation coming over the past couple of weeks. So why the acceleration?

Trump’s return made that rollercoaster look like a kiddie ride.

Act III: Maximum Pressure 2.0—Now With Extra Sand in the Gears

In February 2025, Trump snapped the “maximum pressure” strategy—sanctions on oil, ballistic tech, money launderers—obliterating Iran’s ability to ballroom dance with foreign currencies. Critics whined, but guess what? That was the point. The rial didn’t just fall; it face-planted.

Act IV: Bunker-Buster Diplomacy—Peace Through Economic Pain

Flash forward to June: the U.S. delivered precision attacks with bunker-buster bombs—Fordow, Natanz, Isfahan—you name it. No boots on ground, just MOPs raining down on nuclear infrastructure. Trump called it a “devastation,” not of soldiers, but of the regime’s ability to create nuclear holocaust.

Act V: Iran’s Rage, or Resignation?

Just because they talk tough doesn’t mean they’re stable. Iran’s diplomats warned such attacks would be “one of the biggest mistakes”. Still, internally they’re juggling economic chaos, mounting protests, and power shifts—all while the rial goes the way of the dodo.

Act VI: The Trumpian Arc—Victory Through Financial Obliteration

Historical Perspective

Economic warfare isn’t new. But this sequel outdid the original:

That trajectory is clear: economically ostracized and structurally broken.

Conclusion: A Rupture, Not a Retreat

Is this good? Maybe not for the rial—or civilians in Tehran. But from a strategic, “terror-degrading,” “regime-rippling” point of view: it’s an extraordinary win. Trump didn’t negotiate. He annihilated—one dollar crash at a time.

Continue reading Iran’s Currency is Collapsing Under Trump’s Pressure …

[H/T The Black Sphere]