Trump doubles down on Iran sanctions, challenges Iraq’s role in alleged evasion

Trump doubles down on Iran sanctions, challenges Iraq’s role in alleged evasion
2025-02-05T12:56:00+00:00

Shafaq News/ US President Donald Trump has escalated the Maximum Pressure campaign against Iran, issuing a memorandum aimed at halting Tehran's nuclear ambitions, ballistic missile development, and support for regional groups.

The move reflects the US government’s sustained efforts aimed at “denying Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon, and countering Iran’s malign influence,” according to the memorandum signed by the president.

Trump's administration continued to target Iran’s role as a state sponsor of “terrorism,” citing its support for some regional forces. "Iran remains the world’s leading state sponsor of terror and has aided Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, the Taliban, al-Qa’ida, and other terrorist networks," Trump stated, emphasizing the gravity of Iran's regional and global influence.

The memorandum addressed Iran’s use of proxies and cyber tactics to allegedly target US citizens worldwide, with Tehran’s involvement in the Hamas actions in October 2023 being directly linked to its broader support for “terrorism.” The US also raised concerns about Houthi missile strikes against Israel and its maritime attacks on US Navy vessels and international shipping in the Red Sea.

Central to the memorandum was the drive to thwart Iran’s nuclear program, with Trump reaffirming the US position that "a radical regime like this can never be allowed to acquire or develop nuclear weapons." Iran’s alleged violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its obstruction of inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were central points of concern, as the US aimed to deny Iran any means of developing a nuclear weapon, with Trump calling for an end to Tehran's "nuclear extortion racket."

To enforce these objectives, the US Treasury Department was instructed to ramp up sanctions on individuals and entities tied to Iran’s nuclear and “terror-related” activities, ensuring that Iran and its proxies are denied access to the resources fueling their operations. "We must deny Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon and end the regime’s nuclear extortion racket," Trump emphasized.

The State Department was also tasked with ensuring that the “Iraqi financial system is not utilized by Iran for sanctions evasion or circumvention, and that Gulf countries are not used as sanctions evasion transshipment points.”

The US maintained its stance to curb Iranian oil exports, aiming to reduce Tehran’s revenue, including crude exports to China. The memorandum also targeted Iran’s Chabahar port project and other economic channels that could reportedly enable Tehran to evade sanctions.

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