Washington, DC – Tonight, the United States is reimplementing the first round of nuclear-related sanctions on Iran, following the President’s May 8 decision to violate the Iran nuclear agreement. While the Trump Administration hopes that these measures will cripple the Iranian economy, this course of action, taken unilaterally, is an ineffective way to address the concerns we share with our allies about Iran’s human rights record, involvement in regional disputes, missile development, and especially its nuclear program which was successfully restrained under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Jarrett Blanc, former State Department coordinator for Iran nuclear deal implementation said, “Reimposing sanctions on Iran is the latest is a series of strategic mistakes by President Trump. Violating the nuclear deal put the world at risk of a reconstituted Iranian nuclear program. Putting these sanctions back into place, while Iran remains in compliance with the JCPOA, pushes both the government and the people of Iran in the wrong direction. Iran’s leaders are less likely to engage with us on any issue when our President has shredded U.S. credibility and the Iranian people, who will suffer the impact of sanctions most directly, will be less empowered to hold their leaders accountable.”
In addition to putting our interests in nonproliferation and diplomacy at risk, President Trump’s hardline approach to Iran is alienating our allies and ceding global influence to Russia and China. Sanctions on Iran were effective in the lead up to JCPOA negotiations because we presented a united front with the international community. Today’s sanctions, and those that will be implemented in November, lack the backing of our allies and partners. The Trump Administration’s bullying of Iran shows yet again that American First really means America alone.
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