US Secretary of State declares that his country will respond to all sanctions imposed on Tehran by the UN before the nuclear deal • European countries, Russia and China oppose the move
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo // Photo: Reuters
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today announced new US sanctions on the Iranian Ministry of Defense and Iran's nuclear program, and personalities associated with both institutions.
According to the Secretary of State, the imposition of sanctions is part of a comprehensive move to reinstate all sanctions agreed upon by the UN before the nuclear deal with Iran.
Pompeo also declared sanctions against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro after his regime traded arms, oil and illicit substances with the Tehran authorities.
Pompeo made the remarks at a news conference with members of the Trump administration's national security team.
Despite the United States' determination to reinstate UN sanctions on Iran, European countries, Russia and China oppose the move and support the retention of the principles of the nuclear agreement signed with the Islamic Republic in 2015.
Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Ardan, addressed an official letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the end of the holiday, demanding the re-establishment of the organization's enforcement mechanism and expert panel, which is supposed to oversee the enforcement of sanctions against Iran following the snap mechanism. Beck ".
Ambassador Arden: "Iran has blatantly violated the nuclear deal and its plan to acquire nuclear weapons has been exposed and therefore in accordance with the mechanism presented at the signing of the agreement and implemented by the United States - all sanctions imposed on it and the UN Secretary General have been reinstated."
The Iranian currency is at an all-time low
The Iranian rial fell to an all-time low against the US dollar yesterday, following the Trump administration's declaration that all UN sanctions on Iran would be returned before the nuclear deal. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani delivered a belligerent speech on Iranian television, saying: U.S".
The US dollar sold today at about 273,000 rials, compared to 267,800 yesterday (Saturday) - according to the foreign exchange website Bonbast.com, which tracks the black market in Iran.
Since 2018, when President Trump announced that the US is withdrawing from the nuclear deal and returning some of the sanctions on Iran, the Iranian real has lost about 75% of its value.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in response to a speech on Iranian television that, "America will be defeated in its attempt to impose its sanctions, it is receiving a negative response from the international community."
Rouhani threatened: "We will never give in to American pressure and Iran will give a crushing response to America's bullying."
According to Iran, the US sanctions move is illegal.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council yesterday that he could not take any action on the US declaration, as "there is uncertainty on the issue."
