Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is telling the Trump administration not to ease up on Iran, even after a fragile ceasefire took hold. Her message: keep the sanctions, don't unfreeze assets, and lean hard on China and Russia to stop buying Iranian oil and supplying Tehran with equipment.
"Keep the sanctions on Iran. Don't unfreeze their assets. Put the pressure on China and Russia to stop buying oil and supplying Iran with equipment," Haley wrote Sunday on X. "The administration did the bulk of the work. Reversing the progress that was made is a waste. Keep the pressure on and have the gulf states support that pressure. You have to stop their ability to get any money."
Haley's post was a direct response to a question from conservative radio host Mark Davis, who had asked critics of the Iran deal to offer realistic alternatives. Davis dismissed ideas like nuking Iran or sending 100,000 U.S. troops as nonstarters for Trump and the public. But Haley wasn't buying the premise that the deal was worth preserving. She's been consistent: Iran's regime won't honor agreements, won't give up nukes, won't stop backing proxies, and won't become a normal country.
Her latest comments target the Trump administration's recent memorandum of understanding with Iran, which ended hostilities, reopened the Strait of Hormuz toll-free, and opened the door to sanctions relief talks after weeks of conflict-driven disruptions. Haley sees that as a step backward. She wants the pressure kept on, not dialed back.
Last week, Haley also pointed to a Wall Street Journal report on a surge in hangings of dissidents in Iran, arguing the crackdown showed the regime's anti-American posture remains deeply rooted. Earlier this month, she strongly backed U.S. strikes on Iran, saying "Iran will always play games," and called for increased pressure on Russia and China over their support for Tehran.
The ceasefire itself is looking shaky. The United States and Iran agreed Sunday to halt retaliatory strikes and resume technical talks Tuesday in Doha, Qatar, according to Axios. The talks aim to salvage a fragile 14-point interim peace memorandum signed June 17 after a three-day burst of attacks across the Middle East. But the latest conflict reignited on Thursday after Tehran attacked a container ship, prompting U.S. strikes the next day. Central Command said U.S. forces later targeted Iranian surveillance infrastructure, communications systems, air defenses, drone storage sites and minelayer capabilities in response to continued Iranian aggression.
Haley's message is clear: don't let a shaky ceasefire undo the leverage the administration has built. Keep the sanctions, keep the pressure, and don't give Iran any room to breathe.
