U.S. Policy
On July 25, Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation Dr. Christopher Ford said the United States is fully invested in achieving a “comprehensive new deal” with Iran that would address issues beyond its nuclear program. “Normal nations do not engage in prolonged proxy wars…
On July 22, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo compared Iran’s leaders to mafia bosses who “line their pockets” with wealth while the average person “cries out for jobs, reform, and opportunity.” In a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Pompeo criticized Iran’s government for human rights…
On July 22, President Hassan Rouhani warned President Donald Trump against taking hostile actions toward Iran. “Don’t play with the lion’s tail; you will regret it,” Rouhani said at a meeting of Iranian diplomats. The Islamic Republic’s “enemies must understand well that war with Iran is the mother…
On July 10, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States will not tolerate Iran’s presence in Syria. “There’s no reason to have military forces on the ground there. And we’re going to undertake, along with our partners, a comprehensive program to diminish that activity,” he told The…
On July 10, the U.S. State Department designated al Ashtar Brigades (AAB), an Iran-backed group committed to overthrowing Bahrain’s government, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. As a result, the all of AAB’s property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction were blocked. “From…
On July 9, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Mahan Travel and Tourism Sdn Bhd, a Malaysia-based sales agent that worked for, or on behalf of, Mahan Air, a blacklisted airline. “Mahan Air is the airline of choice for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force, facilitating its support to…
Teams from the State Department and Treasury have visited 13 European and Asian countries to warn governments and the private sector of the risks of continuing to do business with Iran, Director of Policy Planning Brian Hook said on July 2. “We have been clear with countries and companies around…
On June 27, the U.S. Treasury issued updated guidance on Iran sanctions related to the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) revoked two general licenses, including the one that had allowed the export of commercial passenger aircraft and related…
For the eighth consecutive year, the State Department reported that Iran’s government “does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so.” The Islamic Republic was rated a tier three country, the lowest ranking issued in the…
On June 26, a senior State Department official said the United States was asking countries to cut their oil imports from Iran to “zero” by November 4. “I’ve been in Europe and Asia garnering support for our Iran strategy,” the official said. “We’re going to isolate streams of Iranian funding and…