U.S. Policy
On May 27, the Trump Administration announced that it would end waivers – or exemptions from U.S. sanctions – allowing British, Chinese and Russian companies to work at three Iranian nuclear sites. The work focused on ways to contain or limit Iran’s ability to use its nuclear program to build a…
On May 22, the State Department issued a fact sheet accusing Iran of waging a “global campaign of terror” that has included up to 360 targeted assassinations, and mass bombing attacks. The fact sheet was released several weeks after senior Turkish and U.S. officials said that Iran appeared to be…
On May 20, the United States sanctioned nine Iranian officials, including the interior minister, and three entities for human rights abuses. The new measures “send a message of support to the Iranian people that we will continue to support their demands for transparent and accountable governance…
On May 13, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that Iran would “foment terror” while the rest of the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic. Pompeo blasted the Islamic Republic during a visit to Jerusalem, his first trip abroad since he visited Afghanistan in March. “Even during this pandemic…
Two years after the U.S. withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo marked the anniversary by comparing the Islamic Republic to Nazi Germany and calling on the international community “stop the world’s leading state sponsor of anti-Semitism.” In a statement, Pompeo said…
On March 23, the State Department issued a fact sheet disputing Iran’s claims on the scope of its COVID-19 crisis. It came one day after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected U.S. aid to help combat the coronavirus outbreak. Khamenei also had cited a baseless conspiracy theory that COVID-…
On March 19, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wished a happy Nowruz, the Persian New Year, to all those celebrating around the world, including in Iran. Trump blasted Iran’s leaders for corruption and human rights abuses. “The Iranian people deserve leaders who listen to,…
On March 17, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced new sanctions on a petrochemical smuggling network and Iran’s nuclear program. He also blasted Tehran's response to the coronavirus outbreak. “The Wuhan virus is a killer and the Iranian regime is an accomplice,” Pompeo said. He urged the regime…
On February 25, the U.S. State Department announced sanctions on 13 foreign companies and individuals for supporting Iran's missile program. The entities were based in China, Iraq, Russia, and Turkey. The State Department said that the action was based on a periodic review required under the Iran,…
On February 21, a global financial watchdog returned Iran to its blacklist. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an inter-governmental body of 36 countries that sets standards for countering the financing of terrorism and money laundering, cited Iran’s failure to comply with international norms…