Tehran to be hit with old, new sanctions as US plans to quit Iran nuke deal – report
US President Donald Trump is planning to impose old sanctions on Iran and add new ones, the New York Times reported citing sources. Trump is expected to announce his decision on the nuclear deal on Tuesday.
Trump told French President Emmanuel Macron his intention to pull out from the deal during a phone call between the two leaders on Tuesday morning, the Times reports. However, Macron's office denied the report after Reuters reached out for comment.
A source who was briefed on the conversation told the Times that Trump plans to reinstate all sanctions the United States had waived as part of the 2015 nuclear accord. New economic sanctions will also be imposed, according to the source.
The information was leaked to the newspaper two hours before the expected Trump's announcement.
Trump has been a vocal opponent of the nuclear deal, a policy stance that has been praised by Israel but met with disapproval among Washington’s European allies.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, imposes strict restrictions on Iran’s nuclear capabilities, in exchange for sanctions relief. The 2015 agreement was signed by the five permanent UN Security Council members (Russia, China, the US, UK, France) and Germany.
Tehran said on Tuesday that its response to Trump’s announcement will be dictated by what would best safeguard its own national interests.
"Iran is monitoring US and European stance closely, and will react to U.S. decision based on its own national interests," Iran’s deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said after a meeting with envoys from France, Britain, Germany and the European Union in Brussels as quoted by Iranian media.
Tehran has previously signaled that it would consider staying in the deal, in the case of Washington pulling out from the agreement.
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