The US on Tuesday announced new sanctions on an alleged “Iranian weapons procurement network” as President Trump is ramping up his so-called “maximum pressure campaign” against Iran.
The Treasury Department said that it sanctioned six entities and two people based in Iran, the UAE, and China over allegations they were involved in the “procurement of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) components on behalf of Iran-based Qods Aviation Industries (QAI)—a leading manufacturer for Iran’s UAV program.”
Since President Trump signed an executive order reinstating maximum pressure on Iran, his administration has been increasing sanctions and threatening to take military action against Tehran. The new sanctions came after the president threatened to bomb Iran if a deal isn’t reached on the country’s nuclear program.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hit back at Trump, warning of a “strong counterattack” in response to any US attack. A high-level IRGC commander also warned that 10 US military bases in the region were in range of Iranian missiles.
Trump’s threat to bomb Iran came after his intelligence agencies said in the annual threat assessment that Tehran is not building a nuclear weapon and that there was no sign Khamenei has reversed his 2003 fatwah that banned the production of weapons of mass destruction.
The threat assessment did note that the conversation around nuclear weapons inside Iran has changed in the face of Israeli aggression in the region. Ali Larijani, an advisor to Khamenei, warned on Monday that if the US or Israel bombed Iran, the Islamic Republic could be “forced” to pursue nuclear weapons.
“If the US or Israel bomb Iran under the pretext of Iran’s nuclear issue, the Islamic Republic will be forced to move towards producing nuclear bombs. Iranian people will pressure us to develop nuclear weapons,” Larijani said.
But there’s still no sign Khamenei is considering moving towards a nuclear bomb, a step he knows could trigger US and Israeli military action. Iran also remains a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, unlike Israel, which has a secret nuclear stockpile that’s not officially recognized by the US.
Amid the soaring tensions, Iranian officials have opened the door to indirect talks with the Trump administration, rejecting the idea of direct negotiations in the face of increasing sanctions and threats. Iranian leaders have also pointed to President Trump unilaterally withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, during his first administration by re-imposing sanctions as a reason not to hold direct talks.
It’s like watching Disney on Ice. Entertaining but you know those characters aren’t real
Goofy on iceskates with missiles and bombs?
Goofy is skating on thin ice. Anything to make the whole spectacle more interesting.
Iran is subject to IAEA inspections, and despite the hype over uranium enrichment levels, there’s no evidence Tehran is seeking a bomb.
International law prohibits giving military aid to nuclear-armed countries that are not subject to IAEA inspections.
Trump has approved over $14 billion in military aid and weapons sales to Israel. https://www.trackaipac.com/trump
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a52e245ee18a6ab6737305642b35ce15febdeaaebf3c8a2fdcb66308004766dd.jpg
International Law doesn't mean anything to US…!
When you cannot bomb them… Sanction them…!
There must come a point where you run out of sanctions. All used up and none left over
Until we start getting sanctioned back … I think we’re headed that way fast … the fail will be epic.
May 8, 2018: President Trump, with strong Israeli encouragement, withdrew from the USA led international nuclear deal (JCPOA) with Iran.
Iran leader Ali Khamenei knows President Trump is un-trustworthy.
Will President Trump attacks on Iran violates USA Constitution's Article I that requires Congressional approval for such action?
Yesterday Scott Ritter indicated meaning for this "forced to" language from the Khameini aide as to why the threat of attack is SO serious. That is, Iran could get up a bomb almost immediately. Ritter angered the Dialogue Works audience by indicating Iran was "stupid" for getting to this stage and was asking for trouble, although he did not in any way approve of attacking it. His usual bellicose attitude (shouting) didn't help his presentation. Larry Johnson on the program disagreed with Ritter's view saying such an attack would be too destructive for Israel and the US.