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Friday 31 January 2020

U.S. hits Iran with new sanctions, keeps some waivers in place

By DEB RIECHMANN clear facilities without run-
Associated Press ning afoul of U.S. sanctions.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The The waivers are among
Trump administration said the last remaining compo-
Thursday that it will contin- nents of the 2015 nuclear
ue — at least for now — its deal that President Donald
policy of not sanctioning Trump pulled out of in 2018.
foreign companies that Hook told reporters at the
work with Iran's civilian nu- State Department that
clear program. But to signal although the waivers will
that its pressure campaign remain in place, the U.S.
against Tehran continues, would closely monitor all
Treasury announced new aspects of Iran's nuclear
sanctions targeting the program and said Secre-
head of Iran's nuclear pro- tary of State Mike Pompeo
gram and the agency he can "end these projects as
directs. developments warrant."
Brian Hook, U.S. envoy to Iran hard-liners in Congress,
Iran, said the U.S. would re- including Republican Sens.
new for 60 days sanctions Ted Cruz of Texas and Tom
waivers that permit Russian, Cotton of Arkansas, have
European and Chinese argued that the waivers
companies to continue to should be revoked be-
work on Iran's civilian nu- cause they give Iran ac-

Ivanka Trump, left, the daughter and assistant to President Donald Trump, talks with Brian Hook,
U.S. special representative for Iran, talk before an event with President Donald Trump and Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday,
Jan. 28, 2020, to announce the Trump administration's much-anticipated plan to resolve the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Associated Press
cess to technology that ally withdrew America from ments of cancer and trans-
could be used for weap- Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal plant drugs have already
ons. Those who supported with world powers in May been delivered to Iran.
the U.S. participation in the 2018. Since then, Iran has "Iranian cancer and trans-
nuclear deal say the waiv- begun breaking terms of plant patients are receiv-
ers give international ex- the deal, which limited its ing treatments through this
perts a valuable window enrichment of uranium. channel, which is subject
into Iran's atomic program "The Atomic Energy Orga- to strict due diligence mea-
that might otherwise not nization of Iran has played sures to avoid misuse by
exist. They also say some a big role in Iran breach- the Iranian regime," Trea-
of the work, particularly on ing its key nuclear com- sury said in a statement.
nuclear isotopes that can mitments. It has exceeded Alireza Miryousefi, a
be used in medicine at the the limits on its uranium spokesman for Iran's U.N.
Tehran reactor, is humani- stockpile and enrichment mission, said the new finan-
tarian in nature. levels," Hook said, adding cial channel disputes U.S.
New sanctions against Iran that Salehi personally inau- claims that medicine is ex-
that the U.S. announced gurated the installation of empt from U.S. sanctions.
on Thursday target Atomic new advanced centrifuges "If medicine and food were
Energy Organization of Iran to expand Iran's uranium — as the U.S. always stated
and its director, Ali Akbar enrichment capacity. in response to Iran's com-
Salehi. The sanctions freeze Separately, Treasury an- plaints — 'exempt,' then
any assets that Salehi has nounced that a new finan- why require this special
within U.S. jurisdiction. cial channel for humanitar- channel?" he asked.
The new sanctions come ian goods has been cre- He said U.S. sanctions on
amid heightened tensions ated with Switzerland to Iran amount to "economic
between Iran and the benefit medical patients terrorism" against the Ira-
U.S. since Trump unilater- in Iran. Hook said four ship- nian people.q