Wilkie to Newsmax: US Retains Significant Leverage Over Iran

Former Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie said Saturday that the United States retains significant leverage over Iran despite signs that the Trump administration is stepping back from potential negotiations.

Speaking on Newsmax TV's "Saturday Agenda," Wilkie argued that military and economic pressure, rather than diplomacy, is now driving the situation, following reports that President Donald Trump will not send envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to Pakistan for talks with Iranian officials.

"Well, the leverage is with the United States Navy and the United States Air Force," Wilkie said, emphasizing what he described as overwhelming U.S. military strength in the region.

Wilkie also pointed to economic factors, saying Iran’s financial reserves are rapidly diminishing under the weight of ongoing sanctions and a broader blockade.

"My calculations [are] that the Iranians probably have less than a month left of money in their reserves," he said.

"The economic blockade is really taking hold."

According to Wilkie, the pressure campaign is beginning to strain the Iranian government’s ability to maintain internal stability, particularly its capacity to fund security forces tasked with maintaining order.

"When that happens, the regime will not be able to pay the security services," he said.

Wilkie suggested that such financial stress could lead to fractures within Iran’s power structure, especially between ideological loyalists and those less committed to the ruling system.

"And what you will have is a separation between the true believers and the fellow travelers, as those who are not ideologically committed to the Shia Revolution, leave the ranks and go home to protect their families."

He described the broader situation as a deteriorating economic environment that is accelerating internal divisions within the country.

"We’re seeing the slow disintegration of the Iranian economy — actually rapid now," Wilkie said.

Wilkie argued that worsening economic conditions could trigger a stronger response from ordinary Iranians, potentially increasing domestic pressure on the government.

"That will cause more internal division and more reaction from the average Iranian," he said.

His comments come amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, as policymakers weigh the balance between diplomatic engagement and continued economic and military pressure.

The latest ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran appeared to fail Saturday before they began, as Tehran’s top diplomat left Pakistan and Trump soon afterward said he had told envoys not to travel to Islamabad.

The negotiations were meant to follow historic face-to-face talks earlier this month between the U.S., led by Vice President JD Vance, and Iran, led by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.

But Iranian officials have questioned how they can trust the U.S. after its forces started blockading Iranian ports in response to Iran’s war grip on the Strait of Hormuz waterway.

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