Easing The Iranian Sanctions

[Kathianne]

I thought the US was going to get rid of this agreement? Guess not:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-usa/u-s-extends-some-iran-sanctions-relief-under-nuclear-deal-idUSKCN1BP22M?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social


WORLD NEWSSEPTEMBER 14, 2017 / 7:39 AM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
U.S. extends some Iran sanctions relief under nuclear deal
Arshad Mohammed




WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday extended some sanctions relief for Iran under the 2015 nuclear deal, the State Department said, but no decision has been made on whether to preserve the deal itself.


At the same time, President Donald Trump said that Iran is violating “the spirit” of the Iran nuclear deal and the U.S. Treasury announced new cyber-related sanctions on about a dozen Iranian individuals or entities.


“We are not going to stand for what they are doing,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. But he stopped short of saying whether he will refuse to recertify the agreement.


State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the administration approved waivers of some sanctions to “maintain some flexibility” as it develops a policy to address the range of Iranian behavior.

“Waiving some of those sanctions should not be seen as an indication of President Trump or his administration’s position on the (Iran nuclear deal), nor is the waiver giving the Iranian regime a pass on its broad range of malign behavior,” she said at a news briefing.


Nauert did not specify which sanctions the administration had waived.


Earlier, sources said the United States will renew a waiver of the key, and most punitive, sanctions it imposed on Iran before the nuclear deal was ultimately struck.


Tucked into Section 1245 of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, Washington threatened to sanction the banks of Iran’s main oil customers if they did not significantly cut their purchases of Iranian crude.


Under the law, these sanctions can be waived for a maximum of 120 days, forcing the U.S. government to revisit the issue every four months. Former President Barack Obama’s administration, which negotiated the deal, did so in mid-January and Trump’s administration did so again on May 17.


Sources familiar with the matter stressed that the wider U.S. policy toward Iran, and whether to preserve the deal that gave Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbing its nuclear program, has yet to be decided. Trump has criticized the deal, but some of his top advisers believe he should preserve it.

...

[aboutime]

Until we hear from the man who is our President, and the man you can't stand because you don't like him. You should wait until you hear TRUMP say what is taking place with the IRAN NUKE DEAL.

News sources of all types are constantly looking for BREAKING NEWS, in order to be the first to report it. But...as we all should know. NOT ALL OF IT IS FACTUAL, or TRUE.

How easily everyone fails to understand one sentence from the report: "the State Department said, but no decision has been made on whether to preserve the deal itself."

[hjmick]

Let the spin begin!

[jimnyc]

It sounds like it's simply a continuation of what was already there - and then added penalties against 11 people/companies accused of supporting Iran's ballistic missile program.

Nothing halted, but no easing, only an extension of waivers, not waiving anything new. And no spin, them's the facts.

---

US retains Iran deal sanctions relief -- for now

Washington (AFP) - The United States agreed Thursday to continue for now to exempt Iran from nuclear-related sanctions but slapped new measures on targets accused of cyber attacks or destabilizing the region.

The decision to continue to waive the sanctions was expected, but the new sanctions and some tough words from President Donald Trump will be seen as a victory for opponents of the Iran nuclear deal.

Trump is due to decide before October 15 whether Iran has breached the 2015 nuclear agreement, and critics fear he may abandon an accord they think prevents Tehran from building a nuclear bomb.

"You'll see what I'm going to be doing very shortly in October," Trump told reporters traveling with him on Air Force One. "The Iran deal is one of the worst deals I've ever seen.

"Certainly at a minimum the spirit of the deal is atrociously kept. The Iran deal is not a fair deal to this country. It's a deal that should not have ever been made."

Policy hawks welcomed the US Treasury's announcement of new sanctions on non-nuclear issues, and officials were at pains to show they had waived nuclear sanctions only grudgingly.

"The administration did approve waivers in order to maintain some flexibility," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, called the waiver "a holding action."

"This is the action that the US is taking in the interim," he said, "while the president and his cabinet come to a final decision in consultation among themselves and in consultation with allies."

The 2015 Iran deal, approved by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, was implemented under a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, and enshrined in UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

Rest - https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-retains-iran-deal-sanctions-relief-now-204220023.html
and - http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/nation-world/ct-iran-sanctions-relief-20170914-story.html

[Kathianne]

Jim, spot on. Continuation of the agreement. Maybe it'll change next time, in October.

[Black Diamond]

Let the spin begin!
It's tough to weed through sometimes. Glad you survived that whore Irma.

[Kathianne]

and 2 years later?

I wonder if Britain will get its ship back now?

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-nonproliferation/us-to-renew-sanctions-waivers-for-five-iran-nuclear-programs-washington-post-idUSKCN1UP2NC


WORLD NEWSJULY 30, 2019 / 4:25 PM / UPDATED 16 HOURS AGO
U.S. to renew sanctions waivers for five Iran nuclear programs: Washington Post

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is set to announce this week it will renew sanctions waivers for five Iran nuclear programs that allow Russia, China and European countries to continue civilian nuclear cooperation with Iran, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday.


President Donald Trump, in an Oval Office meeting last week, sided with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin who argued for renewing the waivers over objections by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton, the Post said.


Mnuchin “argued to Trump that if the sanctions were not again waived as required by law by Aug. 1, the United States would have to sanction Russian, Chinese and European firms that are involved in projects inside Iran that were established as part of the 2015 nuclear deal,” the Post said, citing six unnamed officials.
A State Department spokesman declined to comment to Reuters.


Pompeo in May extended five of seven sanctions waivers for 90 days. The waivers allow work at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant, the Fordow enrichment facility, the Arak nuclear complex and the Tehran Research Reactor.


Trump abandoned the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran and six world powers last year, arguing that he wanted a bigger deal that not only limited Iran’s atomic work but also reined in its support for proxies in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, and curbed its ballistic missile program. Trump tightened sanctions on Iran in May to try to choke off its oil exports.



The Post said the Treasury Department asked for more time to consider the effects of possible sanctions on Russian, Chinese and European companies, and quoted a senior administration official as saying the goal of ending the waivers remained.


“These waivers can be revoked at any time, as developments with Iran warrant. But because of the Treasury Department’s legitimate concerns, we’ve decided to extend them for now,” the official said, according to the Post.


Fears of a direct U.S.-Iranian conflict have risen since May with several attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf, Iran’s downing of a U.S. surveillance drone, and a plan for U.S. air strikes on Iran last month that Trump called off at the last minute.

[Gunny]

Now THIS sounds more like "politics" as usual. "Trump throws out Iran deal". All for it. Apparently though, he didn't actually "throw it out" if they are basing sanctions on violations of said deal. Slam the door on it already.

I've already voiced my opinion about threatening other countries for dealing with Iran. Nothing more than bullying. We don't own the World. This whole pretending to be everybody's friend and benefactor crap gripes my ass.

The caveat is if you deal with Iran, when it turns on you, don't ask us to come unfuck your mess.

[Kathianne]

https://hotair.com/archives/ed-morrissey/2019/07/31/hmmm-trump-waive-iran-sanctions/



Hmmm: Trump To Waive Iran Sanctions Again?
ED MORRISSEYPosted at 2:41 pm on July 31, 2019

If Mike Pompeo and John Bolton agree on something, how likely would Donald Trump to go in the opposite direction? The smart money would normally go against it, but according to Josh Rogin’s sources (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/07/30/trump-administration-will-again-waive-nuclear-sanctions-iran/?utm_term=.2b62a2b4223b), that’s precisely what will happen this week on Iran. Trump has decided to extend sanctions waivers on Iran again after Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin argued he needed more time to negotiate:


After an internal policy battle, the Trump administration is set to announce later this week that it will once again waive five different nuclear-related sanctions on Iran, preserving a key part of the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal. The decision will upset Iran hawks in Washington and be welcomed by Russia, China, European allies and the Iranian leadership. The issue is emblematic of the tension inside the administration over the implementation of President Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy.

In an Oval Office meeting last week, Trump sided with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who argued that the administration should again renew sanctions waivers related to five separate parts of Iran’s nuclear program. Mnuchin prevailed over the objections of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton, according to six administration officials. Pompeo, who is the lead official on the issue, will nevertheless support Trump’s decision when it is announced later this week.

Mnuchin, these six officials said, argued to Trump that if the sanctions were not again waived as required by law by Aug. 1, the United States would have to sanction Russian, Chinese and European firms that are involved in projects inside Iran that were established as part of the 2015 nuclear deal. The Treasury Department asked for more time to navigate the collateral effects of these sanctions.



Is that the real reason, though? According to NBC’s sources (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/all/trump-hold-tightening-limits-iran-s-nuclear-work-n1037026), the decision allows for the retention of the skeleton of Barack Obama’s deal with Iran. Some within the administration want it kept on life support, so to speak, as a potential opening position for a new deal, a view shared by US allies in Europe:



The underlying argument that has played out at the White House over the past year hinges on whether the United States would have more leverage in any future talks with Iran by totally dismantling the 2015 deal, or whether it is better to preserve the accord as a starting point for negotiations, U.S. officials say.

Proponents of keeping the waivers believe “the best way to position for a new deal, is to keep the old deal around in the meantime,” one source said. “There is an active group within the State Department, Treasury Department and Energy Department that sees value in keeping the rump JCPOA alive.”

Britain, France and Germany had urged the White House to extend the waivers, saying that it was in the interests of the United States and Europe to ensure Iran stuck to a plan to convert various nuclear sites to civilian purposes.



Perhaps it’s just that the administration would prefer to concentrate on one crisis at a time. The existing sanctions have already caused Iran to start lashing out in the Persian Gulf, actions that have created further distance between Tehran and Europe. Better to let those play out to their natural end before doing something that could shift focus in Europe back to the Trump administration rather than on the real threat in Iran.

That won’t make John Bolton too happy, of course, and at least theoretically he’s correct. Cranking up the pressure is better than standing pat, and it may be better to completely jettison the JCPOA and start over on any negotiations from scratch. However, that’s still outside our power; Europe is still clinging to the JCPOA in hopes of keeping Iran accountable. Until they’re ready to let it go completely, it still has to stay in our calculations too.

It’s tough to imagine that these waivers will last forever, though. It’s not in Trump’s nature to keep loopholes open for antagonists, especially not when Pompeo and Bolton are both on the other side of that decision. If Europe wants to keep a “rump JCPOA” alive much longer, they’d better get the mullahs to come back to the table soon.

The underlying argument that has played out at the White House over the past year hinges on whether the United States would have more leverage in any future talks with Iran by totally dismantling the 2015 deal, or whether it is better to preserve the accord as a starting point for negotiations, U.S. officials say.

Proponents of keeping the waivers believe “the best way to position for a new deal, is to keep the old deal around in the meantime,” one source said. “There is an active group within the State Department, Treasury Department and Energy Department that sees value in keeping the rump JCPOA alive.”

Britain, France and Germany had urged the White House to extend the waivers, saying that it was in the interests of the United States and Europe to ensure Iran stuck to a plan to convert various nuclear sites to civilian purposes.



Perhaps it’s just that the administration would prefer to concentrate on one crisis at a time. The existing sanctions have already caused Iran to start lashing out in the Persian Gulf, actions that have created further distance between Tehran and Europe. Better to let those play out to their natural end before doing something that could shift focus in Europe back to the Trump administration rather than on the real threat in Iran.

That won’t make John Bolton too happy, of course, and at least theoretically he’s correct. Cranking up the pressure is better than standing pat, and it may be better to completely jettison the JCPOA and start over on any negotiations from scratch. However, that’s still outside our power; Europe is still clinging to the JCPOA in hopes of keeping Iran accountable. Until they’re ready to let it go completely, it still has to stay in our calculations too.

It’s tough to imagine that these waivers will last forever, though. It’s not in Trump’s nature to keep loopholes open for antagonists, especially not when Pompeo and Bolton are both on the other side of that decision. If Europe wants to keep a “rump JCPOA” alive much longer, they’d better get the mullahs to come back to the table soon.