U.S. expected to impose fresh sanctions on Iran

The U.S. is expected to impose fresh sanctions on Iran on Monday, days after U.S. President Donald Trump stopped short of launching airstrikes on Iranian targets.

This was in response to Iran’s downing of a U.S. drone worth 130 million dollars.

Before departing for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said late Sunday, “On Monday there will be a significant set of new sanctions.’’

Mr Pompeo told reporters that the U.S. was seeking “a global coalition’’ prepared to push back against what he called “the world’s largest state sponsor of terror.’’

The U.S. would continue its efforts to deny Iran the resources to foment terror, to develop its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.

The U.S. withdrew last year from an international deal designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

However, the U.S. has already re-imposed sanctions on Tehran in a “maximum pressure’’ campaign, demanding stricter oversight of its nuclear programme and changes to Iranian foreign policy, such as the Islamic Republic’s support for groups in Syria and Yemen.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, has called the U.S. sanctions the “equivalent of economic terrorism’’ and said the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal stood at “the root’’ of the current regional and international conflict.

(dpa/NAN)