Ukraine, Egypt explore preferential trade deal: Zelenskyy    Egypt, Russia's Rosatom review grid readiness for El-Dabaa nuclear plant    Mastercard Unveils AI-Powered Card Fraud Prevention Service in EEMEA Region, Starting from Egypt    Global tour for Korean 'K-Comics' launches in Cairo with 'Hellbound' exhibition    China's factory output expands in June '25    Egyptian pound climbs against dollar at Wednesday's close    New accords on trade, security strengthen Egypt-Oman Relations    Egypt launches public-private partnership to curb c-sections, improve maternal, child health    Gaza under Israeli siege as death toll mounts, famine looms    EMRA, Elsewedy sign partnership to explore, develop phosphate reserves in Sebaiya    Philip Morris Misr announces new price list effective 1 July    Egypt Post discusses enhanced cooperation with Ivorian counterpart    Egypt's Environment Minister calls for stronger action on desertification, climate resilience in Africa    Egypt in diplomatic push for Gaza truce, Iran-Israel de-escalation    Egypt teams up with private sector to boost university rankings    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Egypt condemns deadly terrorist attack in Niger    Egypt, Tunisia discuss boosting healthcare cooperation        Egypt's EHA, Schneider Electric sign MoU on sustainable infrastructure    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Grand Egyptian Museum opening delayed to Q4    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Egypt discovers three New Kingdom tombs in Luxor's Dra' Abu El-Naga    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Egypt's FM inspects Julius Nyerere Dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



US orders ‘substantial increase' of Iran sanctions
Published in Amwal Al Ghad on 19 - 09 - 2019

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had ordered his Treasury Secretary to "substantially increase sanctions" imposed on Iran, in the wake of an attack on Saudi oil facilities that some U.S. officials have blamed on Tehran.
He did not give details on the move and Tehran has denied it was behind the attack, which initially knocked out half of Saudi Arabia's oil production and sent oil prices sharply higher.
Yemen's Houthi movement, an ally of Iran battling a Western-backed, Saudi-led coalition for more than four years, has taken responsibility for the attack, a claim that Riyadh has dismissed as an attempt to cover up for Tehran's involvement.
A U.S. official told Reuters the strikes originated in southwestern Iran. Three officials said they involved cruise missiles and drones, indicating a higher degree of complexity and sophistication than initially thought.
The White House and the Treasury Department did not immediately respond to requests to comment on what the sanctions could be.
But a former U.S. Treasury official said Washington could target the Islamic Republic with so-called secondary sanctions that could hamper the efforts of European allies still party to a nuclear deal with Iran that Trump pulled out of last year.
"France has been floating the 15 bln credit line and there's no way I could see the Trump administration letting that happen now," the former official said.
In early September, France proposed offering Iran about $15 billion in credit lines until year-end if Tehran comes fully back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, but the whole arrangement would hinge on U.S. approval.
"Though it's presently unclear what these sanctions will target, if they are a response to Iranian escalation in the region they will need to go after any entity involved in the recent strike. Full stop," Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior fellow at think-tank FDD said.
"Anything less and it will appear as Washington is pulling its punches," he said.
An already-tense relationship between Iran and the United States has worsened over the past year, when Trump withdrew the United States from the nuclear pact with Iran and six other countries saying it did not go far enough, and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
Trump said he is not looking to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during a U.N. event in New York this month. Rouhani and his foreign minister may not attend the U.N. General Assembly at all unless U.S. visas are issued in the coming hours, Iranian state media reported Wednesday.
Some of Trump's closest allies in the U.S. Congress urged more than sanctions. "It's going to take something beyond sanctions to achieve deterrence… I'm looking for a response that will be unequivocal." Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters on Capitol Hill.
"The goal is to deter their aggressive behavior and we're not there yet."


Clic here to read the story from its source.