Trump delays Iran sanctions

President sets deadline to overhaul nuclear deal

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump again stopped short of reimposing punitive sanctions on Iran that could break up its nuclear deal with world powers, the White House said Friday. But Trump gave European allies only 120 days to agree to an overhaul of the deal or administration officials said he would pull the United States out of it.

He also approved sanctions against the head of Iran’s judiciary, Sadeq Larijani, a powerful figure whom the administration holds culpable for the violent crackdown on recent anti-government protests.

Larijani is the most prominent of several Iranian officials and entities blacklisted, a roster of 14 individuals and entities that also includes the cyber unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which the United States said has repressed social media networks that protesters can use to share information.

Trump’s action, which was widely expected, is the third time he has given a reprieve to the agreement brokered by President Barack Obama, despite having labeled it “the worst deal ever” and threatening repeatedly to rip it up.

His reluctance to preserve the agreement deepened in recent weeks after the protests, in which at least 21 people died and thousands were jailed.

But the president’s senior aides again persuaded him not to dissolve it, while European leaders have said Iran was still abiding by its terms.

Trump, officials said, would not waive the santions again in May unless the Europeans agreed to a “follow-on” deal that eliminates the “sunset clauses” in the current agreement, under which Iran is allowed to resume activities like enriching uranium. It would also have to contain “triggers,” including inspections of Iranian facilities, which would lead to a reimposition of sanctions if Iran failed to comply.

Iran did not immediately react to the announcement, though officials said they were prepared if Trump had decided to act.

Iran’s first vice president, Eshagh Jahangiri, told the semiofficial ISNA news agency, “If the Americans withdraw from the nuclear deal, we will not hold a mourning service; we are fully prepared for any likely event.”