Trump reviving tough sanctions on Iran in effort to replace nuclear pact
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration Monday announced it is re-imposing harsh economic sanctions on Tehran as part of a strategy to replace the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with what it hopes will be a stronger agreement to curb the Islamic Republic’s ability to build a nuclear bomb.
The new sanctions, which go into effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT today, target numerous areas of Iranian economic activity. They ban most transactions with Iran’s central bank and the nation’s network of ports and insurance companies; the purchase of Iranian sovereign debt; and trade in autos as well as gold, graphite, aluminum and other precious metals.
In a statement Monday, President Donald Trump called the 2015 pact “a horrible, one-sided deal.” He said it “failed to achieve the fundamental objective of blocking all paths to an Iranian nuclear bomb, and it threw a lifeline of cash to a murderous dictatorship that has continued to spread bloodshed, violence and chaos.”
Supporters of the deal say that, while flawed, it has successfully prevented Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon in the medium term. United Nations inspectors, whom Iran agreed to admit regularly, say Iran has largely complied with the deal’s restrictions.
Trump’s decision to reinstate sanctions was immediately criticized by countries and groups that support the deal, particularly Iran. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani went on national state television Monday evening to accuse Trump of sacrificing international diplomacy and negotiation to domestic politics.
Trump “has not honored any international commitments, let alone the nuclear deal,” Rouhani said. “Therefore they want to have a psychological war against our people, maybe for their own congressional elections.”
Rouhani rejected an offer from Trump to talk with Iranian leaders as empty pandering. “When somebody calls for negotiations, he must be honest,” Rouhani said.
In a joint statement, several co-signatories to the 2015 pact — the governments of Germany, France, Britain as well as the European Union — said they were gravely disappointed at Trump’s move, and vowed to protect businesses that seek to work in or with Iran.
“Preserving the nuclear deal with Iran is a matter of respecting international agreements and a matter of international security,” the countries said.
Critics argue that Trump’s reneging raises doubts among allies and adversaries on the U.S. commitment to partnerships, promises and leadership.
The original deal required Iran to dismantle its nuclear production infrastructure, mothballing centrifuges used to enrich uranium, disabling its plutonium-producing heavy-water reactor and getting rid of nearly its entire stockpile of enriched uranium.
In exchange, crippling U.N. sanctions on Iran were eased and billions of dollars in Iranian assets were unfrozen and returned. Tehran was allowed to rejoin the world economy, trading oil and participating in financial markets.
In addition to the European countries, Russia and China were party to the deal with the U.S. and Iran.
Trump disdained the deal, saying it did not do enough to curb Iran’s “malign behavior,” including support for militant groups in Gaza Strip, Syria and Yemen, as well as repression of domestic opposition.