The Trump administration imposed a new round of economic sanctions against Iran on Friday, just days after President Trump announced the upcoming consequences.
“The President is issuing an executive order authorizing the imposition of additional sanctions against any individual owning, operating, trading with, or assisting sectors of the Iranian economy including construction, manufacturing, textiles, and mining,” Mnuchin told reporters at the White House.
“The president has been very clear: We will continue to apply economic sanctions until Iran stops terrorist activities and commits to never having nuclear weapons,” Mnuchin added.
The sanctions will apply to eight senior Iranian officials and six other officials for their involvement with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Iran’s “many fronts of terror.”
“These individuals have carried out Iran’s terror plots and campaigns of mayhem across the region and are complicit in the recent murders of around 1,500 Iranians protesting for freedom,” said a State Department statement by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The U.S. is sanctioning eight senior Iranian officials, including Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani, the Commander of the Basij, responsible for killing 1,500 Iranians. We will continue to hold #Iran accountable. pic.twitter.com/lZnZuE3eN8
— Morgan Ortagus (@statedeptspox) January 10, 2020
Additionally, 22 entities involved in Iran’s key steel and iron manufacturing industries will also be sanctioned.
“As a result of these actions, we will cut off billions of dollars of support to the Iranian regime, and we will continue our enforcement of other entities,” the White House statement said.
President Trump issued his own statement, saying, “I have issued an Executive Order authorizing the imposition of sanctions against any individual or entity operating in the construction, manufacturing, textiles, or mining sectors of the Iranian economy or anyone assisting those who engage in this sanctioned conduct.”
Trump said the sanctions – which he expects to pose a “major impact on the Iranian economy” – will remain in place until Iran changes its behavior.
Trump emphasized his desire to avoid war, and said the U.S. will maintain peace with other nations who desire peace.
