U.S will Again Waive Nuclear Sanctions on Iran

The Trump administration is set to announce later this week that it will once again waive five different nuclear-related sanction on Iran, preserving a key part of the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal.

The decision will upset Iran hawks in Washington and be welcomed by Russia, China, European allies and the Iranian leadership.

President Donald Trump, in an Oval Office meeting last week, sided with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin who argued for renewing the waivers over objections by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton.

Mnuchin, these six officials said, argued to Trump that if the sanctions were not again waived as required by law by Aug. 1, the United States would have to sanction Russian, Chinese and European firms that are involved in projects inside Iran that were established as part of the 2015nuclear deal. The Treasury Department asked for more time to navigate the collateral effects of these sanctions.

Pompeo in May extended five of seven sanctions waivers for 90 days.

The waivers allow work at heavy-water reactor in Arak and converting an enrichment center at Fordow as well as fuel exchanges at the Bushehr nuclear reactor facility and the Tehran Research Reactor.