Tehran, Iran – US President Donald Trump has quickly resumed a pressure campaign against Iran, emphasizing that he does not want Tehran to have nuclear weapons.
Iranian authorities inform them that they are not intending to surrender and that while the country’s official policy of not pursuing nuclear bombs remains, it is not surprising that they leave room for dialogue .
Let’s take a look at the complicated state of play almost seven years after Trump first set out on the path of “maximum pressure.” This argues that Tehran’s policy is a failure.
What did Trump say about Iran at the White House?
Trump on Tuesday claimed he was reluctant to greenlight his new pressure campaign in Iran, but he still pledged to drive Iran’s oil sanctions to “zero.”
At the same time, he emphasized that his only priority is Iran’s not acquiring nuclear weapons.
Asked about the Iranian attempt to kill him in retaliation for ordering the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani in 2020, Trump left instructions to “exploit” Iran if he himself was taken away. He said that.
On Tuesday, the US president signed a memorandum of understanding from the National Security President to enforce the maximum restored pressure on Iran’s policies. The memorandum lacked many details as to what “maximum pressure” would entail, but Trump suggested that the measures were strict, saying he was “teared” and “unfortunate” about his signing. , “I added that I was hoping that I wasn’t going to do that. It will be used in all ways.”
In May 2018, Trump unilaterally abandoned Iran’s nuclear deal with a world power that restricted Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for some sanctions and the suspension of others.
“Nuclear peace agreement”
In his post of social accounts of truth, the US president said that he hopes Iran is a great and successful country, but that it is nuclear weaponless.
“The United States, which works in partnership with Israel, reports that it is trying to blow Iran to the blacksmith,” reads the Post.
He also promoted the “Nuclear Peace Agreement” that led to celebrations in the Middle East.
The Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA), a landmark agreement signed between Iran and P5+1 (US, China, China, Russia, UK, France and Germany), has been announced that after years of negotiations, the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA) has been signed by Iran. We have placed strict restrictions on the nuclear program. Exchange of lifting UN sanctions.
A 3.67% uranium enriched cap is placed in Iran, significantly limiting the stockpile of low-enriched uranium, and limited deployment to the first generation IR-1 model of centrifuges, and the Keeford enriched plant. It was converted to a research center. It also introduced heavy water and plutonium restrictions, banned new enrichment facilities, and envisioned one of the world’s toughest nuclear testing regimes.
Cheered by Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal without offering a replacement and imposed the strictest US sanctions on Iran.
What more pressure can Washington apply?
The drastic sanctions imposed during Trump’s first term enveloped the entire Iranian economy and did not leave even during the Covid-19 pandemic, which had been particularly hard hit.
Former President Joe Biden also received sanctions, but has been constantly accused of Republican rivals of being lax for being loose in enforcement as he is engaged in indirect talks to revive the JCPOA. The main sunset clause of the agreement expired in October this year, stripping the US and the European Union of their ability to quickly regain UN sanctions by activating the JCPOA’s “snapback” mechanism.
The Iranian economy, which had begun to stabilize after the partial relief provided by the nuclear deal, was thrown into years of chaos by sanctions.
Tens of millions of average Iranians continue to lose their purchasing power amid ramping inflation, with national currencies reaching a new low of around 840,000 RI per US dollar in this week’s open market. Masu. That rate was below 40,000 rial per USD before sanctions.
Iran continues to deal with the prolonged energy crisis that has seen sporadic closures of key services across the country, making a significant contribution to dangerous levels of air pollution, particularly in the capital.
However, the Trump team appears to be set to cut billions more from Iranian funding through strict enforcement of Washington’s sanctions regime, imposing new designations.
Potential plans include targeting the so-called “ghost fleet” of Iran-controlled ships. Iran-controlled ships, often with the exception of transponders, fly flags from other states and are registered in third countries to transport crude oil discretely.
That could even mean that the US is seizing more ships. This was branded by Iran as a “pirate” and retaliated by confiscating the vessel.
Washington is also likely to consider greater pressure on China as it has been Iran’s biggest buyer of oil for many years. However, as Trump signalled, plans to drive Iran’s crude oil exports to “zero” are far apart as he is ready for another trade war with Beijing.
What is Iranian signaling?
Iran has one of the world’s largest proven oil reserves and is a founding member of the Oil Exporting Country (OPEC) organization, representing some of the world’s largest oil producers. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday urged OPEC members to oppose the possibility of US sanctions in a meeting with the chief of the Tehran organization.
The centralist president, who won the election in July after the death of his hardline predecessor Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, has deepened his administration’s relationship with neighbors and other partners and sanctions. He said he was trying to get through it.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araguchi said if Trump wanted only Iran without a nuclear bomb, it would be “achievable and not a difficult issue.”
Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami said Trump’s claims about the bomb “state something obvious.”
“We have declared that we are not pursuing, and we are not pursuing nuclear weapons, and we are still engaged to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” he said.
Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani did not comment specifically on the possibility of direct consultations with the US or the Pezeshian-Trump meeting.
After years of retaliation nuclear facilities for Israeli sabotage attacks and retaliation for Western aid denunciation solutions issued by the IAEA board, Iran is currently enriching up to 60% of uranium, which is needed for bombs. This is the technical steps up to 90% above.
Additionally, global nuclear watchdogs and Western Intelligence Agency say that while multiple bombs have enough fissile material, they have not actually made an effort to build nuclear weapons.
Last month, Iranian diplomats took part in consultations with European powers aimed at deepening their understanding of nuclear issues and other issues, and both sides agreed to hold more talks soon.
In the aftermath of the collapse of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the blow that dealt with the Tehran-led “axis of resistance,” Iranian troops are holding massive military exercises. The next few weeks.
The drill focuses primarily on air defense, but also includes announcements of attack capabilities, including various projectiles that can reach Israel, new drone carriers, and speedboats that can carry counter-ship missiles.