Trump: "Iran 'Super-Strong' Sanctions Already Approved"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Kim Bong-su] U.S. President Donald Trump announced on the 9th (local time) that sanctions against Iran have already been strengthened.

According to foreign media, President Trump told reporters at the White House that regarding his statement the previous day about strengthening economic sanctions instead of military retaliation for Iran's attack on two U.S. military bases in Iraq, "It has already been done, and we have strengthened those sanctions," adding, "The sanctions were very strong, but now they have definitely increased."

President Trump also added, "I just approved it with the Treasury Department a little while ago."

However, President Trump did not specify the details of the strengthened sanctions, saying only, "The Treasury Department will officially release a statement."

Earlier, around 11:30 a.m. the previous day, President Trump announced in a national address at the White House that he would "immediately impose additional economic sanctions" in response to Iran's missile attacks on two U.S. military bases.

However, while previously mentioning strong responses in case of Iranian retaliation, in his national address after the missile attacks, he emphasized that there were no American casualties and said, "Iran is backing down," making it clear that he had no intention of taking military action.

On the 3rd, Iran launched a retaliatory attack by firing 15 surface-to-surface ballistic missiles at two U.S. military bases in Iraq on the 7th, after Qasem Soleimani, commander of the elite Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, was killed in a U.S. airstrike at Baghdad International Airport in Iraq.

In this regard, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) cited experts and former officials on the same day, analyzing that "the U.S. may strengthen existing trade and financial sanctions against Iran," and "companies, banks, and individuals helping Iran evade sanctions could also be placed on a blacklist (restricted transaction list)."

There is also speculation that the Trump administration may strengthen the 'secondary boycott' (third-party sanctions) that blocks foreign companies' transactions with Iran. Some suggest the possibility of a 'triple pressure' involving the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Security Council joining in again.