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The Trump administration announced Sunday that it would reinstate sanctions on Iran at midnight Monday, according to a report from The New York Times. The sanctions were initially lifted as part of the 2015 nuclear agreement, the Times notes, but Trump withdrew from that agreement in May against the wishes of U.S. allies. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the sanctions were reinstated to pressure Iran to end its support of dictatorial regimes in the Middle East. “We’re very hopeful that we can find a way to move forward, but it’s going to require enormous change on the part of the Iranian regime,” Pompeo said. “They’ve got to behave like a normal country. That’s the ask. It’s pretty simple.” The sanctions, the Times notes, forbid transactions with Iran that include dollar bank notes, gold, precious metals, aluminum, steel, commercial passenger aircraft, and coal. They also prevent the import of Iranian carpets and food stuffs.
Trump announced Monday, however, that he is open to negotiating a new deal. In his statement, Trump noted that “As we continue applying maximum economic pressure on the Iranian regime, I remain open to reaching a more comprehensive deal that addresses the full range of the regime’s malign activities, including its ballistic missile program and its support for terrorism. The United States welcomes the partnership of likeminded nations in these efforts.” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani responded that he was also interested in negotiating a deal if the U.S. is “sincere.”