Trump means business with regard to Iran

Adam Kredo reports at the Washington Free Beacon,

Congress and the Trump administration are issuing a stern warning to European partners: End all business ties with the Iranian regime or face harsh new sanctions in the coming months, a move that could impact international financial markets and U.S. banks tied to foreign monetary institutions, according to multiple senior U.S. officials who spoke to the Washington Free Beacon about diplomatic efforts to pressure Europe on Iran.

The Trump administration and many in Congress have been working in tandem to pressure European partners over their ongoing financial ties to Iran ahead of efforts by the United States to fully reinstate harsh sanctions on Iran, including on its lucrative oil sector and banking systems, U.S. officials said.

Key European partners have expressed opposition to the new U.S. sanctions in recent months and have held a series of meetings with senior Iranian officials to discuss tactics for evading the new American sanctions, which follow on the heels on President Donald Trump's decision to abandon the landmark nuclear deal.

...Diplomatic tensions over the new sanctions have heightened ahead of November, when the Trump administration expects to fully reinstate sanctions on Iran that could cripple its business ties to Europe and further strain the regime's cash reserves.

Iranian officials have responded to the sanctions with threats of violence, including a possible military blockade of critical shipping routes in the Persian Gulf that has stoked fears of a potential war in the region. Top Israeli officials declared on Thursday that they would respond militarily should Iran take such actions.

Senior U.S. officials leading the efforts to pressure European partners over their business ties with Iran told the Free Beacon the Trump administration will not hesitate to sanction those who violate the new sanctions, warning that international banking institutions and even top U.S. banks could be hit with sanctions for not complying.

Read more here.