iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed several executive orders, reinstating the “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, withdrawing the U.S. from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), and cutting funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), according to Fox News.
Trump expressed mixed emotions about signing the order, admitting he was “torn” and “unhappy” to do so, acknowledging the severity of the sanctions against Iran. “Hopefully, we’re not going to have to use it very much,” he told reporters on Tuesday, February 4.
The executive order directs the Treasury Department to implement stringent sanctions targeting Iran’s oil exports as part of a renewed “maximum economic pressure” strategy.
Additionally, American lawmakers, including Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John Fetterman (D-Penn.), have introduced a resolution affirming that all options should remain available to address Iran’s nuclear threat.
This move to reinstate harsh sanctions on Iran follows Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The 2015 agreement, negotiated during the Obama administration, had eased sanctions in exchange for Iran’s commitment to curbing its nuclear program.
Earlier in January, Trump hinted at the possibility of a nuclear deal with Iran when asked if he supported Israel striking Iranian nuclear facilities.