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Iran, World Powers Plan Nuclear Deal Meeting as US Readies Sanctions

by Cindy Saine

   WASHINGTON --

   Foreign ministers from Iran and the four world powers that still want
   to be a part of the nuclear agreement they signed in 2015 are set to
   hold talks Friday on how to maintain the deal following the withdrawal
   of the United States.

   Iranian state media reported Tuesday that Foreign Minister Mohammad
   Javad Zarif would meet in Vienna with his counterparts from Britain,
   China, France, Russia and Germany.

   Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is also traveling to Switzerland and
   Austria this week on his own diplomatic tour to try to preserve the
   agreement that limits Iran's nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions
   relief. He said he expects European countries to unveil a package of
   measures in the coming days designed to keep the deal alive.

   U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States of out the
   agreement in May. All the other parties to the nuclear deal say they
   remain committed to the agreement and have expressed strong
   disappointment at Washington's withdrawal.

   The United States on Monday announced its plans to reimpose tough
   sanctions on Iran's energy and banking sectors, saying the Iranian
   government needs to change its behavior and act like a "normal
   country."

   "Our goal is to increase pressure on the Iranian regime by reducing to
   zero its revenue on crude oil sales," said Director of Policy Planning
   Brian Hook. "We are working to minimize disruptions to the global
   market but we are confident there is sufficient global spare oil
   capacity."

   During a press briefing at the State Department, Hook called on the
   Iran to meet demands in order to deem it what he called a "normal
   country."

   "Normal countries don't terrorize other nations, proliferate missiles,
   and impoverish their own people," Hook said. "As Secretary [of State
   Mike] Pompeo has said, this new strategy is not about changing the
   regime, it is about changing the behavior of the leadership in Iran to
   comport with what the Iranian people really want them to do."

   The State Department's director of policy planning noted the first part
   of U.S. sanctions will snap back in early August (August 6). These
   sanctions will include targeting Iran's automotive sector, trade and
   gold, and other key metals. He said the remaining U.S. sanctions will
   snap back in early November (November 4). These sanctions will include
   targeting Iran's energy sector and petroleum related transactions and
   transactions with the central bank of Iran.

   In addition to the sanctions on Iran, the United States has warned
   other countries that they will also face sanctions if they continue to
   trade with sanctioned sectors of the Iranian economy.

   Hook said State Department and Treasury officials are traveling around
   the world meeting with U.S. allies to try to convince them to cooperate
   with the sanctions.