5 hours ago
The US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the reinstatement of his administration's "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran, what he called a strategy aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions by targeting its vital oil exports.
The development imposing Washington's tough policy on Iran came just ahead of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Iran and Israel have a highly adversarial relationship marked by mutual hostility and proxy conflicts.
The US President called the decision very tough and said he was unsure about it. He mentioned he was open to making a deal with Iran and was willing to talk to its leader.
"With me, it's very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," Trump said. Asked how close Tehran is to a weapon, Trump said, "They're too close".
The US President directed his treasury secretary to implement "maximum economic pressure" on Iran, including sanctions and enforcement measures targeting violators of existing sanctions. His order also mandates the Treasury and State Department to launch a campaign aimed at reducing Iran's oil exports to zero.
Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump has accused former President Joe Biden of failing to enforce oil-export sanctions rigorously, claiming this lapse emboldened Tehran by enabling it to sell oil, which in turn funded its nuclear weapons program and armed militias in the Middle East.
According to the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Iran is "dramatically" accelerating its uranium enrichment to 60 per cent purity, approaching the 90 per cent threshold required for weapons-grade material. However, Iran denies any intention of developing nuclear weapons.
During his first term, Trump managed to reduce Iran’s oil exports to near zero by re-imposing sanctions, while under Biden, exports have risen as Iran found ways to bypass those sanctions.
Published On:
Feb 5, 2025
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