U.S. reimposes sanctions on Iran

BBC informs that on 5 November the Trump administration restored all sanctions lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, targeting core parts of Iran's economy. BBC also cites Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who told reporters the following: "The Iranian regime has a choice: it can either do a 180-degree turn from its outlaw course of action and act like a normal country, or it can see its economy crumble."

As The New York Times writes already in May, when the Trump administration pulled out of the nuclear deal, it said it would reimpose the harsh economic sanctions that had been lifted under the agreement, aiming at Iran’s oil exports and banking sector. President Trump has called the deal “the worst in history,” saying it does nothing to restrain Iran’s non-nuclear aggression, including the killing of dissidents abroad, a large missile program and support for Hezbollah, the Syrian government, the Houthis in Yemen and Shia dissidents all over the region.

According to the New York Times’ article, European Union members including Britain, France and Germany have said they will continue to abide by the nuclear deal, as have China and Russia. They are trying to keep Iran in compliance, too, by countering the American economic sanctions. In a joint statement, the European Union foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, and the foreign and finance ministers of Britain, France and Germany said they “deeply regret” the reimposition of American sanctions.

As Reuters informs, Washington granted waivers to eight countries, including Turkey and China, to continue to buy Iranian energy for keeping the oil market stable but those waivers are not permanent.

Prepared by Marina Muradyan