Trump chooses sanctions over strikes, for now, against Iranian regime
Updated ,first published
Washington: The United States will impose sanctions on 18 Iranian officials and entities accused of laundering proceeds from oil sales, as President Donald Trump stepped up pressure on the Islamic regime in Tehran but postponed military intervention to support widespread protests.
Among those affected by the new sanctions is Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Larijani says the United States was among the first leaders to call for violence to suppress Iran’s largest uprising in years.
This development comes after multiple global news outlets reported that Arab states have engaged in intense diplomatic efforts over the past two days to persuade Trump not to strike Iran.
These included Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Oman, according to a Gulf official cited by Reuters. “For now, things have calmed down,” an Arab official said Financial Times. “The United States is giving time to negotiate with Iran and see where they go from here,” he said.
Meanwhile, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand announced that a Canadian citizen died “at the hands of Iranian authorities” during the protests, but did not provide further details.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the new sanctions imposed on Trump’s orders will continue the administration’s pressure campaign aimed at accelerating Iran’s economic collapse since March.
“Our sanctions efforts have been effective in reducing oil exports and revenues. Currency and living conditions [in Iran] in freefall,” he said on Thursday morning (Friday AEDT).
“The central bank is bankrupt and printing money. Hyperinflation is next… The regime has chosen to spend what is left of the country’s oil revenues on nuclear weapons development, missiles, and terrorist proxies around the world.”
Bessent reiterated Trump’s support for protesters risking their lives on the streets in Tehran and other Iranian cities. The US president said “help is on the way” earlier this week, and many interpreted that as a promise of military intervention.
The president specifically objected to the regime’s brutality against protesters. Human Rights Activists in Iran, a US-based organization, says the death toll now exceeds 2,600.
There was widespread expectation of a US attack in the early hours of Thursday when Iran closed its airspace to all but a few select international flights destined for Tehran and the US withdrew some personnel from military bases in the region.
But Trump also softened his stance, saying the United States had received information from reliable sources that the killings had stopped and the executions of political prisoners would not take place.
Iranian state media also quoted authorities as saying Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old protester arrested last week, was not sentenced to death and will not be executed.
Trump did not rule out military intervention but said he would see if his promises to stop killing protesters would come true.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that some 800 executions planned for Wednesday have been stopped.
He did not comment on whether Arab states had persuaded Trump not to strike Iran or whether Iran should not attack Iran. New York Times It was stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on him to postpone the attack. However, he confirmed on Wednesday that Trump and Netanyahu had spoken.
“There was a lot of speculation about what the president would do,” Leavitt said. “Only President Trump knows what to do, and a very, very small team of advisors are listening to his thoughts.
“The president continues to monitor closely but also keeps all his options on the table.”
Some reports from Iran showed that protests had diminished, although information was difficult to verify due to internet and mobile phone blackouts and a ban on foreign journalists.
Eyewitnesses in Tehran, quoted by the Associated Press, said in recent mornings there had been no new signs of bonfires lit the night before or debris on the streets. After several nights of intense fighting, the gunfire had also diminished.
Wall StreetJournal He quoted two protesters in Tehran as saying the streets were calmer and there were fewer protesters and police barricades.
Those who encouraged Trump to attack Iran were confident that he would eventually do so. Interventionist Republican senator Lindsey Graham said Trump’s resolve was beyond doubt.
“The question is, when we do an operation like this, should it be bigger or smaller?” he said. “I am in the camp of the elders. Time will tell. I am hopeful and optimistic that the regime’s days are numbered.”
Eurasia Group president and political scientist Ian Bremmer speaks at the event he hosts Foreign policy magazine said it was clear that the intervention of the Gulf countries was the most important factor that persuaded Trump to postpone.
“The Turks were also very skeptical and opposed and sent these messages to Trump,” he said.
Bremmer also said the United States had determined that Iran had brutally suppressed most of the demonstrations and that the U.S. military was not convinced that the timing was optimal to lead Iran’s massive retaliation.
“The USA does not have an aircraft carrier in the region yet,” he said. “It would probably take another week for the situation to happen. They were hearing from the military inside: We can do this, but this is not the best time for us.”
In his video message, Bessent extended an olive branch to Iranian leaders, saying they “still have time” if they choose to “join us.”
“The US Treasury knows that, like rats on a sinking ship, you are frantically moving funds stolen from Iranian families to banks and financial institutions around the world. Rest assured, we will pursue them and you,” he said.
“But you still have time if you choose to join us. Stop the violence and stand with the Iranian people.”
AP via Reuters
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Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political correspondent in Canberra.Connect with: excitement or email.
