U.S. Imposes New Sanctions on Iran Ahead of Diplomatic Talks

On Wednesday, the United States imposed new sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program, just days before planned diplomatic discussions to reduce tensions between Washington and Tehran. The Treasury Department sanctioned five organizations, including Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, and one individual, alleging that they were involved in activities to advance Iran’s nuclear program. This announcement is mostly symbolic because existing U.S. sanctions have rendered the Iranian economy into rubble. Nonetheless, it demonstrates Washington’s intention to keep up the pressure before a preliminary round of negotiations are set to take place on Saturday in Oman.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent referred to Iran's nuclear aspirations as a "serious threat" to the security of the world and promised to "disrupt any attempt" to pursue weapons. Iran, however, denies it is pursuing nuclear weapons, a stance which is supported by U.S. intelligence agencies. The agencies have yet to conclude that Iran is actively building a bomb. Analysts point out that Iran could quickly produce weapons-grade nuclear material if it decided to dismiss its obligations under the lapsed 2015 nuclear deal.

The sanctions come after years of escalating action, including what has been described as an Israeli campaign of assassinating Iranian nuclear scientists and sabotaging nuclear sites. President Donald Trump, who withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Nuclear Deal during his first term, has consistently said he prefers negotiations but warned of military action if negotiations don’t work. "We'll see what happens, but they know the consequences," Trump said earlier this week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that military strikes would be "inevitable" if negotiations go nowhere. His remarks mirror regional allies' doubts about Iran's intentions, as well as their call for a tougher stance from the United States.