Former Deputy National Security Adviser KT McFarland warned Thursday that Iran’s economy could collapse within “a week, maybe at the most two weeks” as U.S. pressure halts the country’s oil exports and cuts off its primary revenue stream.
Speaking on “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” McFarland referenced President Donald Trump’s earlier remarks that the United States is not rushing to end the conflict with Iran but emphasized that “the clock is ticking” for the regime.
“You know what President Trump said when after he said time is on our side, why is it on our side?” McFarland asked. “Iran is hemorrhaging money. They’re getting no income from their oil sales.”
“No oil tankers are going in. No oil tankers are going out of Iran. No ships are going into Iran. No ships are going out of Iran,” she stated.
McFarland noted that the administration’s pressure on Tehran intensifies amid escalating regional tensions, including threats to critical shipping lanes such as the Strait of Hormuz—a vital artery for global energy markets. Trump has signaled patience in the standoff while underscoring that Iran faces mounting economic strain as its oil exports are squeezed.
The former adviser identified Iran’s limited capacity to store oil once exports cease as the most immediate pressure point. “Iran probably has, by some estimates, a week, maybe at the most two weeks, where it has to have someplace for that oil to go,” she explained.
She detailed that Iran’s oil infrastructure depends on a continuous flow from wells through pipelines to export terminals, particularly Kharg Island, where crude is loaded onto tankers. “When you stop the ability of that pipeline to put oil in an empty tanker, the whole system starts backing up,” McFarland added. “Iran probably has excess capacity to store maybe a little bit of time, maybe a week, maybe two weeks. But what happens then?”
McFarland also clarified that shutting down production is not viable. “You can’t just turn a switch and have the well stop pumping. It does enormous damage to the well, probably irreparable damage,” she said. “And at the same time, you’re going to prevent Iran from having any income after this war to rebuild any of this.”
The result, she warned, is imminent economic collapse. “So, what happens in a week, two weeks? Their economy collapses,” McFarland concluded.
