U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth participate in a cabinet meeting at Camp David in Thurmont, Maryland, U.S., July 31, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Heuer
President Donald Trump announced that his new strategy for the Iran war returns to his old strategy of deploying sanctions on the country and attempting to isolate it economically. But Trump is giving his friends a pass when it comes to following his new sanctions rules.
MS NOW Rachel Maddow producer Steve Benen argued in a Friday column that Trump has weakened his own policy with sweeping threats against countries that assist Tehran, but then signaled that he may not enforce those threats against Russia or China. The contradiction ultimately undermines the credibility of Trump’s strength at a time when the United States is already struggling to bring its six-month war with Iran to an end.
"It quickly became obvious that the president’s threat was largely meaningless, and the administration’s new policy amounted to little more than another underwhelming threat," wrote Benen.
During an Oval Office signing on Thursday, Trump was asked whether he intends to enforce the sanctions for all countries, including Russia and China. Given that the two countries have been aiding Iran, there was a question about whether Trump would be willing to enforce his rules for his favorite world leaders.
"Well, it depends, it depends,” Trump replied. “So far, I think Russia’s behaved quite well having to do with the Strait of Hormuz. And you have to understand, for everything they do, we do also, you know. Somebody was saying about China, ‘What about China? We hear they’re spying.’ We spy on them too; that’s the way it goes.”
Trump added that it's not as if the U.S. doesn't do the same kind of things, breaking sanctions.
Benen called it "pitiful."
Russia has been shipping drone components to Iran, NBC News reported last week. Another report revealed that Russia has also been sending cash to Iran.
"Instead of acting on this, Trump has largely defended Russia, accepted Putin’s denials at face value, and as recently as Thursday, praised Russia for having “behaved quite well,'" Benen said.
Essentially, Benen wrote, the president drew a red line and then gave his pals a pass once they stepped over it.
Meanwhile, he cited the report The Washington Post, indicating “fresh U.S. intelligence indicating that the Kremlin sees the United States as weakened by the Iran war.”
"Trump’s willingness to signal abject weakness isn’t likely to help," he closed.