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Trump reimposes ‘maximum pressure’ campaign on Iran ahead of meeting Israel's Netanyahu, targets oil exports
Trump accused his predecessor, Joe Biden, of “failure” to strictly enforce oil sanctions, which he alleged has emboldened Iran.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday reimposed his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran, including efforts to drive its oil exports down to “zero” as part of efforts to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Trump said the move was “very tough” and said that he was “torn” on whether to resume the campaign against Tehran.
The Republican also reiterated that Iran “cannot have a nuclear weapon” but expressed hope that a “deal” can be worked out. Trump also said that he would be willing to meet with his Iranian counterpart to try to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear weapon ambitions.
The US president has reinstated Washington's hardline policy on Iran from his first term. The move comes before he meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington.
The memo orders the US Treasury Secretary to impose “maximum economic pressure” on Iran through sanctions and improve enforcement mechanisms in areas where Tehran is found “violating” existing US sanctions.
Trump also ordered the Treasury Secretary and the State Department to implement a campaign to bring Iran's oil exports to “zero”. He also accused his predecessor, Joe Biden, of “failure” to strictly enforce oil sanctions, which Trump alleged has emboldened Iran to use oil money to fund its nuclear weapons program and also arm its militias in the Middle East.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said in December that Iran was "dramatically" accelerating enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% weapons-grade level. Iran has consistently denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon.
The US president managed to drive Iran's oil exports to near zero during his first term by resorting to a “maximum pressure” campaign.
According to US Energy Information Administration estimates Iran managed to evade sanctions after Trump's first term and earned $53 billion in 2023. The OPEC also said that Tehran's oil output in 2024 was running at its highest level since 2018.
Kevin Book, an analyst at ClearView Energy, told Reuters that Biden did not strictly enforce the 2024 Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) law allowing foreign ports and refineries to process Iranian oil in violation of sanctions.
Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.
