Trump planning 'flood of new sanctions' on Iran before leaving office: report

President Donald Trump's administration is set to announce "new sanctions every week" against Iran until the end of the president's term in January, a US media report has claimed.

Citing Israeli sources, Axios reported that new sanctions on Iran are currently being planned by Trump - in coordination with key Arab allies - and will be imposed before President-elect Joe Biden resumes office on 20 January.

The report said that US Special Representative on Iran, Elliott Abrams, was in Israel on Sunday and held a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the new sanctions.

According to the report, Abrams will brief top Israeli officials on the plan this Monday.

The report comes a day after the US State Department released a statement saying Abrams will travel to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE for "consultations on Iran", between 7 and 12 November.

During his term, Trump has applied a "maximum pressure" policy on Iran with crippling sanctions after unilaterally withdrawing from the nuclear deal with Tehran in 2018.

Read also: Iran's Rouhani says Biden win a chance for US to 'compensate for mistakes'

A week before losing the US elections, Trump slapped fresh sanctions on Iran's oil sector due to sales to Syria and Venezuela, among other issues.

The new "flood" of sanctions are aimed at increasing pressure on Tehran and make it harder for the Biden administration to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, Israeli sources told Axios.

Biden has indicated he wishes to return the US to the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers


Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay connected