At the same time, though, the administration notified Congress that it’s continuing to waive sanctions, including restrictions on oil sales, that were eased under the 2015 deal between world powers and Iran to curb its nuclear program. The U.S. is reviewing whether to continue honoring what President Donald Trump has called “the horrible Iran deal.”
The notification of waivers follows a finding in April that Iran is complying with its side of the deal. The Treasury on Wednesday also announced new U.S. sanctions against seven people linked to Iran’s ballistic missile program, including two senior defense officials and a China-based network that supports Iran’s military.
“This administration is committed to countering Iran’s destabilizing behavior, such as Iran’s development of ballistic missiles and support to the Assad regime,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. “It is alarming that individuals involved with Iran’s missile program are assisting the brutal Assad regime, and we are taking action to curtail this behavior.”
The Trump administration won’t seek to reduce Iran’s crude sales “at this time” in keeping with its commitments under the nuclear deal, according to the announcement. There are sufficient other supplies in the market to meet crude demand if Iranian exports were to be targeted, according to the finding.
The new sanctions came at a sensitive time for Iran, with presidential elections just two days away. President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate who helped orchestrate the 2015 nuclear deal, is seeking a second four-year term against cleric Ebrahim Raisi, who has the backing of Iranian hard-liners. Rouhani’s opponents have targeted the nuclear accord, saying he has failed to deliver on promises that the agreement would bring a boom in foreign investment and an improvement in living standards.
The U.S. will continue to “scrutinize Iran’s commitment” to the nuclear deal while developing a “comprehensive Iran policy,” Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Stuart Jones said in a statement. “And above all, the United States will never allow the regime in Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.”
The State Department also released a report on Iran’s human rights violations that’s required by Congress every six months. The report said Iran continues to inflict torture, execute children convicted of crimes and detain people arbitrarily. “This pattern of behavior must come to an end,” the report said.
/The Bloomberg/
More about: #Trump #Iran #sanctions #nuclear
