Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the tough sanctions the United States reimposed on Iran’s energy and financial sectors November 5 will “stop Iran from having the wealth and money that they need to continue to foment terror around the world.”
President Trump ended U.S. participation in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal because it did not put a permanent stop to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“The Iranian regime has a choice: It can either do a 180-degree turn from its outlaw course of action and act like a normal country, or it can see its economy crumble,” Pompeo said.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced November 5 that the department sanctioned more than 700 individuals, entities, aircraft and vessels. Mnuchin called it the largest ever single-day action targeting the Iranian regime. This brings to more than 900 the number of Iran-related targets sanctioned in less than two years, marking the highest-ever level of U.S. economic pressure on Iran.
“Any financial institution, company, or individual who evades our sanctions risks losing access to the U.S. financial system and the ability to do business with the United States or U.S. companies,” Mnuchin said.
“These sanctions have already had an enormous impact,” Pompeo added, as Iranian crude oil exports have declined by more than 1 million barrels per day.
Pompeo made clear: “Our actions today are targeted at the regime, not the people of Iran, who have suffered grievously under this regime,” he said. “It’s why we have and will maintain many humanitarian exemptions to our sanctions including food, agriculture commodities, medicine and medical devices.”
