The Donald Trump administration waived nuclear-related sanctions on Iran today in accordance with the landmark nuclear deal while ripping the country over its ballistic missile program and human rights record.
In a sign of the president’s deep ambivalence toward the nuclear accord and Iran more broadly, the Treasury Department slapped sanctions on seven entities allegedly tied to the missile program, including senior Iranian defense officials and a China-based entity. Simultaneously, the State Department released a congressionally mandated semi-annual report on human rights abuses.
The nuclear sanctions waiver was widely expected after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson certified last month that Iran was complying with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiated under President Barack Obama. As Al-Monitor first predicted May 14, however, the waiver was accompanied by harsh “foot stomping” meant to convey the message that Trump is determined to keep the pressure on Iran for non-nuclear-related malfeasance.
Tellingly, news of the nuclear sanctions waiver was only mentioned in the fourth paragraph of a State Department media note titled “US State Department Issues Report on Human Rights Sanctions on Iran.” Rather than quoting Tillerson, the note quotes the department’s top Middle East envoy, Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Stuart Jones, who has reportedly told colleagues this week that he plans to resign.
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