Trump waives Iran nuclear sanctions, keeping Obama-era deal alive for now
Trump waives Iran nuclear sanctions, keeping Obama-era deal alive for now
White House to announce decision on Iran nuclear deal
Rich Edson reports on what it will take to keep the U.S. in the agreement.
The Trump administration on Friday announced it will extend waivers for Iran nuclear sanctions, keeping alive the landmark Obama-era deal for at least another few months—but White House officials vowed this is the “last waiver” the president will issue.
In addition to the waivers, the Treasury Department rolled out more targeted sanctions on Iran for human rights abuses. Further, officials said the Trump administration will warn Iran that it will pull out of the nuclear deal negotiated by former President Barack Obama in 2015 if fixes are not addressed by spring.
White House officials said Friday that if the president can deny Iran a path to nuclear weapons “forever,” not just for 10 years, Trump would be “open to remaining in such a modified deal.”
“This would not entail direct negotiations with the Iranians, but would be something the U.S. works out with European partners only,” a White House official said Friday.
Trump’s decision has been expected since earlier this week. The sanctions that Trump has to waive deal with Iran’s central bank and were suspended under the nuclear deal.
Meanwhile, the administration is trying to secure a fix from Congress on the requirement for Trump to address Iran’s compliance every three months. In October, Trump decertified the nuclear deal under U.S. law, saying the sanctions relief was disproportionate to Iran’s nuclear concessions, and describing the arrangement as contrary to America’s national security interests.
Trying to strike a balance, the Treasury Department’s separate sanctions were designated for 14 individuals and entities in connection with human rights abuses and censorship in Iran, and support to designated Iranian weapons proliferators.
“The United States will not stand by while the Iranian regime continues to engage in human rights abuses and injustice. We are targeting the Iranian regime, including the head of Iran’s judiciary, for its appalling mistreatment of its citizens, including those imprisoned solely for exercising their right to freedom of peaceful assembly, and for censoring its own people as they stand up in protest against their government,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement Friday.
Protests have rocked the Islamic Republic in recent weeks, in a replay of the 2009 “Green Movement,” a social media-driven uprising that was quelled by the theocratic rulership.
Iran’s government has blasted the U.S., Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom for supposedly instigating further protests, calling them “enemies of Iran.”
Fox News’ Kristin Brown and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: Trump waives Iran nuclear sanctions, keeping Obama-era deal alive for now
