President Trump reluctantly agreed to renew the Iran Nuclear Deal Friday. Key sanctions were waived in exchange for Iran’s continued compliance. The respite, however, will be brief. The waiver must be reissued every 120 to 180 days, and the White House has indicated that this will be the last time Trump will extend the agreement.
According to CNN: “Trump agreed to waive the sanctions at the urging of his top national security and foreign policy advisers, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and national security adviser H.R. McMaster, who warned Trump that re-imposing the sanctions would likely be viewed by Iran and European allies as the US breaking its commitments under the deal.”
Trump has absolutely no respect for what he’s called the “awful” deal put in place by Obama, but abandoning the terms without warning would be disastrous. Rectifying Obama’s mistakes is proving to be a very difficult task.
The administration hit 14 new individuals and entities with fresh sanctions. Human rights abusers and corrupt government officials were targeted, including a “top Iranian government official who oversees the sentencing and execution of juveniles in Tehran…”
If the new demands aren’t complied with, Iran will be guilty of breaking the agreement.
“The United States will not stand by while the Iranian regime continues to engage in human rights abuses and injustice,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday in a statement.
“We are also targeting Iran’s ballistic missile program and destabilizing activities, which it continues to prioritize over the economic well-being of the Iranian people.”
(Source: CNN)