US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed during a meeting at the White House on Wednesday to intensify economic pressure on Iran, according to a recent report. Their discussions reportedly centred on curbing Iran’s oil exports, particularly shipments to China, as part of a broader strategy to restrict Tehran’s revenue streams.
Citing two US officials familiar with the talks, Axios reported that Washington plans to push harder to reduce Iranian oil sales to Beijing. One official said the leaders were aligned on pursuing “maximum pressure,” especially targeting Iran’s crude exports to China.
China currently buys more than 80% of Iran’s seaborne oil, according to 2025 data from analytics firm Kpler. Because of existing US sanctions aimed at limiting funding for Iran’s nuclear programme, Tehran has only a limited number of buyers for its crude exports.
The renewed push follows an executive order signed by Trump roughly 10 days ago, authorising expanded economic action against Iran. The order allows the US Secretary of State and Secretary of Commerce to recommend tariffs of up to 25% on countries that continue trading with Iran.
At the same time, diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran appears to be continuing. Switzerland’s foreign ministry confirmed that a second round of discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme is scheduled for next week.
However, even as negotiations move forward, the United States is significantly increasing its military presence in the region. Trump announced that a second aircraft carrier group would soon be deployed to the Middle East, signalling heightened pressure on Tehran. Speaking to reporters, he confirmed that the USS Gerald R. Ford would be repositioned from the Caribbean.
“It’ll be leaving very shortly,” Trump said, adding a pointed warning: “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it.”
Earlier, after visiting troops at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Trump suggested that a leadership change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen,” as his administration weighs its options if diplomacy fails.
Military pressure amid ongoing talks
Trump indicated that the expanded military deployment is intended to strengthen Washington’s leverage during negotiations. He stressed that the situation must be resolved decisively, saying, “We’ll get it settled for once and for all, and that’ll be good.”
He also criticised decades of stalled engagement with Iran. “For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk,” Trump said, adding that additional military assets are being moved into the region.
Referring to the deployment, Trump described it as a “very big carrier group” and reiterated his preference for a negotiated solution, while acknowledging that past efforts had failed to yield a final agreement.
Heavy US military presence near Iran
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, accompanied by guided-missile destroyers, is already operating in the Arabian Sea. Last week, US forces intercepted and shot down an Iranian drone that approached the carrier, an incident that further heightened tensions.
Relations between the two countries have also deteriorated following Iran’s recent crackdown on protesters, which reportedly resulted in thousands of deaths. The United States has warned Tehran of severe consequences if it does not agree to limit its nuclear programme.
Despite the rising rhetoric and expanded military presence, both sides engaged in indirect talks in Oman last week, indicating that diplomatic channels remain open even as tensions continue to escalate.
