Iran Lashes Out At Trump Over Sanctions

The unofficial cold war with Iran is now back on thanks to an executive order from Donald Trump. Starting at 12:01 AM on Tuesday morning, the first round of Iranian trade sanctions repealed under the 2015 Nuclear Agreement will be reimposed. This move also distances the administration from other nations who disagree with Trump and further jeopardizes the nuclear accords.

According to The Washington Post, “Iran will be prohibited from using U.S. dollars, the primary currency used for international financial transactions and oil purchases. Trade in metals and sales of Iranian-made cars will be banned. Permits allowing the import of Iranian carpets and food, such as pistachios, will be revoked.” The sanctions will also prohibit Tehran from importing new aircrafts and other such materials from Europe and the U.S.

A group of foreign ministers from the E.U immediately condemned Trump’s executive order. “The lifting of nuclear-related sanctions is an essential part of the deal,” they said in a statement. “It aims at having a positive impact not only on trade and economic relations with Iran, but most importantly on the lives of the Iranian people.” The Independent reports that the White House has also started engaging in a “propaganda war” against the Islamic Republic, which they hope will induce a regime change in Iran. Trump indirectly expressed this interest in a statement: “The United States continues to stand with the long-suffering Iranian people, who are the rightful heirs to Iran’s rich heritage and the real victims of the regime’s policies,” he said. “We look forward to the day when the people of Iran, and all people across the region, can prosper together in safety and peace.”

In the meantime, the Trump Administration continues to pressure world nations to cut their Iranian imports down to zero, countries like China and India who are the two biggest importers of Iranian oil.

The Iran government has also strongly condemned the sanctions; they have explicitly called out the leaders of Israel and Saudi Arabia as well as Trump.”Today, Trump, bin Salman and Netanyahu have become the symbol of mistrust in the world,” Foreign Minister Javad Zarif was quoted as saying on state TV. “The world has distanced itself from their hostile policies against Iran.” NBC News also reports that the Islamic Republic will also try to block the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean. Since this corridor is “used by a third of all oil traded at sea,” this could lead to some serious escalation in the future.