World

Iran nuclear deal: Mnuchin expects new US sanctions

January 11, 2018 3:03 pm

US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has said he expects President Donald Trump to impose new sanctions on Iran.

The news comes as Mr Trump faces a Friday deadline to decide whether to waive other major sanctions on Iran lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal.

Earlier, European powers urged Mr Trump to uphold that agreement, saying it was vital for international security.

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Mr Trump has criticised the deal, which saw sanctions lifted when Iran agreed to limit its nuclear fuel production.

Mr Mnuchin told reporters he was expecting new sanctions on Iran to be announced – which previous reports have suggested could be targeted measures against Iranian individuals and businesses.

“We continue to look at them. We’ve rolled them out and I think you can expect there will be more sanctions coming.”

The US president says he wants to amend the deal – or withdraw from it completely.

In October, he refused to recertify for Congress that Iran was complying with the deal, accusing it of “not living up to the spirit” of the agreement.

The BBC’s Gary O’Donoghue, in Washington, says that while the future of the major sanctions is an open question, the new measures could help the president fend off criticisms from his supporters that he’s not fulfilling a key campaign promise to “rip up” the nuclear deal with Iran.