Trump agrees waiver of sanctions under JCPOA as OFAC imposes new sanctions

President Trump has agreed to waive nuclear-related sanctions against Iran, in what he called a ‘last chance’ to keep the US in the ‘nuclear deal’, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (‘JCPOA’) agreed between China, France, Russia, the UK, the US, Germany and the EU and Iran in 2015. Under the deal, Iran is relieved from US, EU and UN nuclear-related sanctions in return for the reduction of its nuclear capacity. This is the first time Pesident Trump has had to consider the periodic waiver since he declined to re-certify Iran’s compliance with the agreement in October.

‘Today, I am waiving the application of certain nuclear sanctions, but only in order to secure our European allies’ agreement to fix the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal,’ he said.

On the same day, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (‘OFAC’) announced that it was designating 14 individuals and entities for serious human rights abuses and censorship in Iran, and for providing support to designated weapons proliferators. Those sanctioned include Sadegh Amoli Larijani, head of Iran’s judiciary.

‘We are targeting the Iranian regime, including the head of Iran’s judiciary, for its appalling mistreatment of its citizens, including those imprisoned solely for exercising their right to freedom of peaceful assembly, and for censoring its own people as they stand up in protest against their government,’ said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, adding that Iran prioritises its weapons programme over ‘the economic well-being of the Iranian people’.

Five Iranian companies, subordinates of the Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group, which develops and produces solid-fuel rockets, were designated on similar grounds on 4 January.

For information on OFAC’s designations see:
https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20180112.aspx