US President Donald Trump has signed a series of executive orders to reinstate his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, withdraw the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), and cut funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Fox News reported.
Trump expressed mixed feelings about the decision, saying he was “torn” and “unhappy to do it,” but emphasized that the executive order would apply significant pressure on Iran. “Hopefully, we’re not going to have to use it very much,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday.
The executive order directs the US Treasury Department to impose “maximum economic pressure” on Iran, focusing on sanctions targeting the nation’s oil exports. This move comes as American lawmakers, including Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John Fetterman (D-Penn.), as well as members of the House of Representatives, introduced a resolution asserting that all options should remain available to address Iran’s nuclear threat.
The reinstatement of tough sanctions on Iran follows Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May 2018. The 2015 agreement, brokered under the Obama administration, had lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program.
In January, Trump suggested the possibility of reaching a new nuclear deal with Iran when asked about supporting Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
In addition to the Iran-related executive actions, Trump’s new orders also include the US withdrawal from the UNHRC and the cessation of funding to the UNRWA, a key agency providing aid to Palestinian refugees.
