In a likely effort to satisfy the hawks and keep up “maximum pressure” on Iran in the wake of its alleged attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities (by Saudi and US accounts), President Trump on Friday has announced the “highest sanctions ever imposed on a country”. This is the long awaited “response” coordinated with the Saudis - according to the press briefing - in the aftermath of last week’s devastating aerial attacks on the kingdom.
Addressing reporters in the oval office, the president outlined new sanctions targeting the Iranian national bank, which he described as going “right to the top”.
“We’ve never done it to this level. It’s too bad what’s happening with Iran, it’s going to hell,” President Trump added.
President Trump: “These are the highest sanctions ever imposed on a country, we’ve never done it to this level. It’s too bad what’s happening with Iran, it’s going to hell" pic.twitter.com/kbFeIZKRbw
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 20, 2019
“They’re practically broke, they are broke. And They could solve the problem very easily. All they have to do is stop with the terror,” the president said further, alluding to Iran’s downward spiraling economy after over a year of biting US-led sanctions.
He also called Iran the “number one sponsor of terror” worldwide. However, echoing his prior willingness to enter into direct no conditions talks with Iran’s leaders over their nuclear program, Trump acknowledged Iran has “great potential” assuming it would abandon its “terror sponsorship” and return to good faith dialogue with the US.
Though precise details of the new impending sanctions on the Islamic Republic’s national bank were not discussed in the president’s comments, US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin indicated the new actions against Tehran would be “very big” and will target last source of funds for Iran.
Is he sanctioning the sky now? https://t.co/REyaNyRg44
— Daniel Larison (@DanielLarison) September 20, 2019
“Both the central bank of Iran as well as National Development Fund - which is their soverign wealth fund - will be cut off from our banking system,” Mnuchin said. “We’ve now cut off all source of funds to Iran,” he added.
The obvious question remains is whether if these are the “highest sanctions”…can they get any higher at all from here? We’re sure Washington can find a way.
via zerohedge
I THINK THE p
PRESIDENT WILL DO MUCH TO AVOID WAR. This was an attack on The Saudi’s oil, and it is their call to attack Iran—-they have the military power to do it, but Trump does not want America to get into another war.
Let Iran “pound sand” and drink oil.
The President’s stand on not intervening militarily is and has been clear from the start. I’m afraid though that if these further sanctions don’t produce the desired effect the only option left is major boots on tbe ground. Let’s just hope that it doesn’t come to that.
Actually Iran is number 2 terrorist group with the Democrats retaining the number 1 title.
Exactly
Good catch. I agree completely.
Oh, you are SO right! But, our MSM is #2. Iran will have to be #3!
Yes ,and don’t forget the R.I.N.O.s.
They are almost broke. Students and others have been protesting since the ayatollahs and mullahs promised to repair the schools, and fund education but instead took their oil money and took the billions sent to them by Obama and supported Hamas, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood and other terrorists throughout the world.
We have supplied the Saudis with billions of dollars to secure the weapons needed to protect their countries soverenty and if a War does happen because of the attack on Saudi property. Then Saudi needs to engage in a War with Iran over this and the USA need not be the country to start it.
Haven’t we learned anything from our fiasco in Viet Nam? I served there in 1967 and the US unnecessarily lost 58.000.00 of our soldiers (dear friends of mine as well) we fk not need to repeat this horror story.
I too left friends come home in body bags. Probably some i barely knew from state side
Half of our great Country is asleep at the wheel. They vote for politicians that want open borders, elimination of ICE and DHS, the Green Raw Deal, free college education and healthcare for illegals, climate change legislation, and on, and on. So many of these people have been educated from kindergarten through high school and even college by left-leaning teachers and professors that they have no sense of reality. They refuse to face reality about the fact that it would be impossible for us to pay for all those things and to support the hundreds of millions of foreigners who who would flood our shores looking for an earthly paradise where everything is free. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Never has been, never will be. The more Democrats that get into office, the higher taxes will be for everybody. They live to tax and spend. If our citizens who are “woke” don’t really wake up and smell the taxes, hang onto your wallets for a really rough ride!
I was in the Army at that time too. We had great military services who had the Viet Cong on the verge of defeat until Johnson turned over the direction of the war to the young college graduate “wiz kids” instead of the Generals and Admirals. Nixon and Kissinger followed up with poor leadership and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, shaming themselves forever but not our military folks who did their best, suffered, died and would have had a total victory except for our weak civilian leadership and their lack of understanding of military strategy. It could have, and should have, been a clear-cut victory for our military forces.
“A black eye’ll quiet down a heap quicker than an empty belly!”
This one is about the money. Saudis were responsible for 9/11 . Their record on human rights is despicable and they butchered Keshogi at the Turkish Embassy. In spite of all they have done to the US we rush to help them when there is a crisis. Because of their wealth, they hold our nuts over the fire.
Keshogi worked for the Washington Post,what’s that tell you?
I’m not sure what being a journalist for The Washington Post should tell me. Does it mean Keshogi deserved to be butchered by Saudi thugs.
🎆❤👍TRUMPence2020👍❤🎆 successfully US Landslide Reelected assuredly
Amen & Amen!!!
It’s unbelievable that Iran’s Leaders would be so stupid, knowing what the Consequencies would be, I think it’s an LGBT/Democratic Frame-Up.
Trump is still pushing hard for his historic memorial. First it was a border wall. Since that idea has failed, he is going for something much bigger, and hugely expensive — war.
WE ARE NOT AT WAR. WAKE UP ALASKA WOMAN. You know this, as Alaska will be first hit.
Biblically we are reminded that there will be always war and talk of war. Please do not promote it. Reality is that you are still comfortable when others are not.
I believe that Trump does not want a war, but I also, believe that Trump will not back down from retaliating to terrorist acts against us, And I believe that the British are on board with the same sentiment. So if the next attack from Iran comes, there will be a precise and surgical strike on the installation that launches the attack if the attack from Iran is against anything that belongs to the U.S.. I also, believe if Israel is made a target, we will not intervene on their retaliation. Increased sanctions will only bring a greater threat to Iran’s demented thoughts and a proud regime will not want to lose face in front of the rest of their islamic bretheren, so they will scream and shout with no one to blame but themselves, but I ,also believe that Iran will strike again and the Saudis will only go after Iran if they can buy someone to do it for them, or if they buy a murder inside the Iran regime and only the Albanians are crazy enough to murder for money with no regrets……… Just Sayin………..
America has sufficient oil production currently to sustain AMERICA’S needs for decades without ever drilling or fracking another well, problem is GREED, the oil pigs are exporting it for their pockets instead of storing it for our needs
Contries and Governments of the WORLD, HAVE TO RECOGNIZE IRAN’S TERROR AND come along side the US Government, against IRAN. TOTALLY ISOLATE IRAN, put a wall around them. Cut off electricity, cut them from the world with allies and all governments. THEN WE WILL SEE WHO STANDS FOR MORALITY AND RULE OF HUMAN LAW.