Beginning of First Round of US Sanctions Against Iran

From the first hours of Tuesday, August 7 Washington time, the first round of US sanctions against Iran began. Trump signed the order to initiate these sanctions yesterday. Bolton said Iran should accept Trump’s proposal for negotiations to prevent the sanctions.

The first round of US sanctions against Iran began this morning, Tuesday (August 7 / Mordad 16). The sanctions include restrictions on the purchase and procurement of US dollars by the Iranian government, sanctions on trade in gold and precious metals, restrictions related to purchases, prohibition on the storage or direct or indirect transfer of graphite, sanctions on the purchase of raw materials or semi-finished metals such as aluminum and iron, coal and software used in industrial processes, and sanctions related to Iran’s automobile manufacturing sector, which are part of the first phase of the US sanctions list against Iran.

These sanctions had previously been suspended following the signing of the nuclear agreement by major powers with Iran and the implementation of the JCPOA. However, the Trump administration withdrew from the JCPOA in May and announced it would reinstate sanctions against Iran.

The sanctions have now been reactivated with the signing of an executive order by the US President. Donald Trump signed this executive order yesterday (Monday, August 6).

In a text published by the White House around noon on Monday titled “Statement by the President on the Resumption of Sanctions Related to Iran by the United States,” it stated that today the United States would take actions to reinstate sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program; sanctions that had been suspended following the signing of the “Comprehensive Joint Action Plan” (JCPOA).

Donald Trump defended his unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear agreement in his executive order and again called the JCPOA a “terrible” agreement. He said the agreement was not only inadequate for preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, but was also a source of financing for a “murderous dictatorship” in Iran and the continuation of “spreading violence and chaos” by Iran.

The US President expressed satisfaction that many international companies have announced their readiness to leave the Iranian market. He said many countries have announced they will reduce or completely stop importing crude oil from Iran.

Trump added that America will ask all countries in the world to take such actions to make clear that the Iranian regime faces a choice; either it must change its threatening and destabilizing behaviors and reintegrate into the global economy, or it will continue its economic isolation.

John Bolton: Iran Should Accept Negotiation Proposal

An hour after Trump’s executive order was released, John Bolton, the US President’s National Security Advisor, announced that if Iran wants to prevent the return of sanctions, it should accept Donald Trump’s proposal for negotiations.

Bolton, who was speaking with American news network Fox News, called on Iran to completely and verifiably abandon its “military nuclear program” and “ballistic missile program” and enter into negotiations with America.

The US President’s National Security Advisor emphasized: “If Iran’s ayatollahs want to be relieved from the pressure of sanctions, they must sit down at the negotiating table with America.” Bolton added that during negotiations, US pressure on Iran will not be reduced.

Hassan Rouhani responded yesterday to Donald Trump’s proposal for unconditional negotiations, saying, “Their goal in raising the topic of negotiations is to create psychological warfare for the Iranian people.”

Rouhani added: “We negotiated with them in this current US administration, including with their Foreign Minister when negotiations took place, but the point is that it was the Trump administration that withdrew from negotiations, not our country, as our country has always welcomed negotiations, provided there is sincerity on the other side.”

Bolton, meanwhile, clarified in his Fox News interview that America is not seeking regime change in Iran. He said: “We want to put enough pressure on the Iranian government to change its behavior.”

Source: DW