President Trump issued a new Executive Order renewing a commitment to imposing “maximum pressure” on the Iranian government to “end its nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop its support for terrorist groups.” The Executive Order lays out a multifacted approach to achieving these goals, including specific instructions for a number of senior officials in the Executive Branch to:
- further tighten U.S. economic sanctions and increase enforcement;
- modify or rescribe certain sanctions waivers in furtherance of a broader campaign to eliminate Iranian oil exports, including those to China;
- coordinate with foreign allies to complete a full snapback of international sanctions;
- increase export control enforcement to restrict the flow of technology and components used by the Iranian military; and
- investigate and prosecute financial and logistical networks, operatives, or front groups inside the United States that are sponsored by Iran or an Iranian terror proxy.
U.S. sanctions against Iran are among the most restrictive in the world. Nonetheless, reports do continue to indicate that Iran is successfully moving its crude oil in certain international markets, including China, notwithstanding U.S. sanctions efforts. In addition, the Iranian military continues to exert its influence on the global stage both directly (as in the case of Iranian missile strikes against Israel) and through proxies supported by the Iranian regime. While a “maximum pressure” campaign may have certain political appeal, it remains to be seen whether the measures proposed in this new Executive Order will have a meaningful impact as the administration works to implement them.
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