Trump Takes Another Hatchet to Obama Legacy, Announces More Iran Sanctions
The Trump administration took yet another hatchet to Barack Obama’s legacy on Iran — this time on the sanctions that the former president lifted as part of the Iran nuclear agreement.
According to Fox News, the Trump administration announced Friday that the last round of sanctions that were lifted as part of the deal would be reinstated on the Islamic Republic on Nov. 5.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 2, 2018
“It is aimed at depriving the regime of the revenue that it uses to spread and destruction around the world,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. “Our ultimate aim is to compel Iran to permanently abandon its well-documented outlaw activities and behave as a normal country.”
Particularly, the sanctions will target Iran’s crude oil exports and will penalize countries that don’t stop importing oil and foreign companies that do business with certain Iranian entities.
“Reimposing sanctions will cut off revenues the regime uses to bankroll terrorist groups, foment global instability, fund nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and enrich its leaders,” a briefing from the White House read.
The administration will reportedly be granting eight waivers to countries “to temporarily import Iranian oil because they’ve worked with the administration and reduced their imports,” according to Fox News.
United Against Nuclear Iran has encouraged sanctions to be levied on the country. They welcomed the decision but said that the waivers were a poor decision and that there were still issues that needed to be ironed out.
“We encourage the Trump administration to fulfill the promise of a maximum pressure campaign — no exceptions– until Iran permanently and verifiably changes its behavior,” chairman Joe Lieberman and CEO Mark Wallace said in a joint statement, according to The Hill.
“Oil and gas firms, including those from friendly countries like India, South Korea and Japan, should not be granted sanctions waivers.”
The reimposition of sanctions is the latest move by the Trump administration that seeks to go back to the state of things before the Obama administration’s Iran deal, which removed most sanctions in return for a supposed halt to nuclear development.
In August, Trump announced the reimposition of sanctions and his intent that “all remaining United States nuclear-related sanctions will resume effective November 5, 2018,” according to a White House media pool report.
“The United States is fully committed to enforcing all of our sanctions, and we will work closely with nations conducting business with Iran to ensure complete compliance,” the report read.
“Individuals or entities that fail to wind down activities with Iran risk severe consequences.”
The White House briefing said that the reimposition of all sanctions lifted under the Iran nuclear deal on Monday “will be the toughest sanctions regime ever imposed on Iran.”
New sanctions and more threats against those that break them are a step in the right direction, particularly when you consider how this could bring Iran back to the table.
If it does, Trump could yet again prove that the art of the deal can work out.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
