Trump Administration Set to Reimpose Painful Sanctions on Iran on Monday

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration will reimpose a wide range of sanctions against Iran on Monday, intensifying the pressure on the Islamic Republic in the wake of President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said a detailed list of sanctions will be made public on Monday, while officials in the U.S. Treasury Department said the sanctions will go into effect by the end of the day. 

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The sanctions that will be reimposed against Iran are mostly sanctions that were in place before the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was signed. Their reimposition is a result of Trump’s decision to end the American government’s commitment to that deal. Another set of sanctions, mostly affecting Iran’s oil industry, will be reimposed in early November. The sanctions are expected to make it difficult for European and Asian companies who have business with the United States, to continue operating in the Iranian market. 

Last week, President Trump said that he would be willing to meet with Iran’s leaders “anytime” and “with no preconditions” in order to discuss a new agreement between Iran and the United States. Trump later stated that he believes Iran will sooner or later choose to negotiate with him, in light of the growing economic crisis in the country. Yet Iran’s leaders rejected his statement.

Pompeo said on Sunday that a new agreement with the Trump administration will require “enormous changes” from the Iranian regime, and that Iran will need to begin “behaving like a normal country.” Two months ago, Pompeo gave a speech in which he outlined a dozen conditions for a new agreement, including not only an end to Iran’s nuclear program, but also a withdrawal of Iranian forces from Syria and Yemen, as well as an end to Iran’s support of Hamas and Hezbollah.