On Saturday, the US Department of State announced it was bringing back allpreviously scrapped UN sanctions against Tehran, including the arms embargoand restrictions concerning the nuclear energy sector.
A senior US official, who chose to speak anonymously, told Reuters onSunday that Iran could have created a nuclear weapon by the end of thisyear and that the country has resumed long-range missile cooperation withNorth Korea.
He cited “the totality” of data available in the US, including that fromthe IAEA, but failed to provide proof or any other details.
“Iran and North Korea have resumed cooperation on a long-range missileproject, including the transfer of critical parts”, he said.
The official claimed that Iran is “clearly doing everything” to “get backinto the weaponisation business”, so in response, the Trump Administrationwill introduce new sanctions on Monday, targeting more than 20 individualsand entities involved in Iran’s nuclear, missile and conventional armsprogrammes.
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He added that the executive order due on Monday will also allow Washingtonto use secondary sanctions against those whos buy or sell arms to Iran,excluding them from the US market.
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On Saturday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that all the UNsanctions are being reimposed on Iran, and new measures will follow, addingthat the US will not “hesitate” to punish the countries that are againstthem.
The Trump administration has long been waging a sanctions campaign againstTehran, dubbed the “maximum pressure” approach, which Washington justifieswith the need to contain Iran’s “nuclear threat” while slamming its”oppresive government”. In October 2019, Pompeo tweeted that Iran “mustfundamentally change its behaviour and act like a normal nation, or it canwatch its economy collapse”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif denounced the US government forbringing back the sanctions, pointing out that the international communityhas spoken against the move.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said in astatement on Sunday that Washington cannot unilaterally restoreinternational sanctions on Iran on the basis of an agreement it withdrewfrom, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), alsoknown as the 2015 nuclear deal. The deal sought to restrain Tehran’snuclear programme.
