President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday, re-imposing many sanctions on Iran.<\/b>
\nWASHINGTON (CBSMiami\/CNN) \u2014 President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday, re-imposing many sanctions on Iran.
Trump threatened \u201csevere consequences\u201d for those who continue to trade with Iran, as administration officials said Monday that newly re-imposed US sanctions are meant to change the regime\u2019s behavior, not topple leaders in Tehran.
\u201cThe 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. Individuals or entities that fail to wind down activities with Iran risk severe consequences,\u201d Trump said in a statement about penalties that will go back into effect at 12:01am Tuesday.
A senior administration official said that, \u201cour stated policy has not been regime change, it\u2019s been to modify the Iranian regime\u2019s behavior.\u201d
The official, speaking to reporters on a conference call with others from the administration, said that Trump remains open to meeting Iran\u2019s leaders without preconditions.
\u201cThe President has been very clear none of this has to happen, he will meet with the Iranian leadership anytime\u201d to discuss another nuclear deal \u201cthat curbs their malign activity,\u201d the official said. \u201cWhat he was saying there is that he\u2019s not going to give up anything in advance of a meeting, that there are no preconditions,\u201d the official said.
President Hassan Rouhani told Iran\u2019s state television Monday that he would welcome talks, and blamed the US for backing out of dialogue.
\u201cIf there is sincerity, Iran has always welcomed dialogue and negotiations,\u201d Rouhani said. \u201cI don\u2019t have pre-conditions. If the US government is willing, let\u2019s start right now.\u201d
Rouhani expressed concern that Trump has backed out of previous dialogue and negotiations with Iran. \u201cEven in the current new administration we talked with the Americans on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly,\u201d he said.
Referring to former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Rouhani said, \u201cMr. Tillerson held a conversation with our Foreign Minister and so the ones that turned their back on dialogue and negotiations was Mr. Trump and Mr. Trump\u2019s administration. And this is against the nation of Iran and the national interests of Iran.\u201d
Trump announced in May the US was withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. That agreement established curbs on Iran\u2019s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Administration officials say Iran has used funds freed up by the pact to sow instability across the Mideast.
\u201cThe regime has used the windfall of newly accessible funds it received under the JCPOA to build nuclear capable missiles, fund terrorism, and fuel conflict across the Middle East and beyond,\u201d Trump said in his Monday statement, repeating a claim his administration has often made.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif slapped back at Trump in a Monday tweet declaring that US \u201chypocrisy knows no bounds.\u201d
Referring to the 73rd anniversary of the US dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, Zarif said, \u201ctoday in 1945, US became 1st & only country to ever use nukes. And on an urban center of all targets. 73 yrs later \u2013 w\/ vastly expanded nuke arsenal it refuses to dismantle in defiance of NPT commitment \u2013 US militarism hasn\u2019t faded. Neither has its utter disregard for human life.\u201d
Zarif continued, \u201cTrump Administration wants the world to believe it\u2019s concerned about the Iranian people. Yet the very first sanctions it reimposed have canceled licenses for sales of 200+ passenger jets under absurd pretexts, endangering ordinary Iranians. US hypocrisy knows no bounds.\u201d
Monday\u2019s announcement covers the first of two rounds of sanctions the US is unilaterally reimposing as a result of leaving the pact. The other signatories to the deal, including the EU, Russia and China, are sticking with the accord. In a statement Monday, the EU, UK, France and Germany said they \u201cdeeply regret\u201d the US action. The EU announced it would take legal steps to protect EU companies \u201cdoing legitimate business in Iran.\u201d
\u201cThe JCPOA is working and delivering on its goal, namely to ensure that the Iranian program remains exclusively peaceful, as confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 11 consecutive reports,\u201d the joint statement read.
The US official said the EU move to protect its companies \u201cis not something we\u2019re particularly concerned about.\u201d A second US official added that \u201cnearly 100 international firms have announced their intent to leave the Iranian market\u201d and that the US continues its work to build an international coalition to enforce sanctions.
State and Treasury officials have been traveling around the world to coordinate the pressure campaign, and have visited 20 countries to date, the second official said. \u201cWe are very intent on using these authorities,\u201d a third US official said, and will \u201cuse them aggressively. We are seeing a substantial impact.\u201d
The US officials offered no dollar value on the expected impact on Iran\u2019s economy. When asked if it was being pushed to collapse, the third official said, \u201cI\u2019m not going to predict what\u2019s going to happen to the Iranian economy, other than to say we are intent on using these economic provisions to our advantage.\u201d
The second administration official said Iran\u2019s economy was already on a \u201cdownward spiral\u201d before Trump decided to reimpose sanctions and pointed to Iran\u2019s weakening currency, rising unemployment and growing protests across the country as evidence.
The Monday announcement marks the end of a transition period the administration gave companies to wind down contracts with Iran in order to avoid penalties.
Monday\u2019s sanctions cover the purchase or acquisition of US dollars by the Iranian government; trade in gold or precious metals; the direct and indirect sale, supply or transfer to or from Iran of graphite, raw or semi-finished metals such as aluminum, steels and coal; as well as significant transactions of the Iranian currency; and on the country\u2019s auto sector.
\u201cThe next 90 days will see increasing pressure culminating in\u201d the reimposition of sanctions on Iran\u2019s energy sector, the third official said. The second round of sanctions, due in November, is expected to be tougher, as it will take hundreds of thousands of barrels of Iranian crude oil off the market, according to industry sources.
Those sanctions will also target Iran\u2019s Central Bank, the country\u2019s port operators and shipping and ship building sectors, as well as the provision of insurance and financial messaging services.<\/p>\n

\n

Similarity rank: 25<\/div>\n

Sentiment rank: 0<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

TW posts: 24<\/div>\n

TW reposts: 3<\/div>\n

TW likes: 3<\/div>\n

TW sentiment: -10<\/div>\n<\/div>\n