IRAN/NUCLEAR/SANCTIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House reimposed sanctions on Iran, targeting the country’s struggling economy as it seeks to pressure Tehran’s leaders to stop supporting Middle East militant groups and end enrichment of uranium, U.S. officials said. While President Trump—whose measures reflect the broadest economic action he has taken against Tehran since saying in May that the U.S. would withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord—has said he is willing to meet with President Hassan Rouhani to see if they can strike a more comprehensive deal, some senior U.S. officials seem to be calculating that the economic pressure will undermine the government and encourage the Iranian public to seek new leaders…The measures taking effect shortly after midnight come as protests against Iran’s government escalate, with thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets to appeal for financial help and call for leadership changes. They have focused on high prices and a lack of jobs, blaming Iranian leaders, not the U.S., for their plight. The new measures bar the sale of U.S. currency to Iran’s government, put sanctions on Iran’s trade in gold and precious metals, outlaw the purchase of Iran’s sovereign debt and place curbs on Iran’s automotive sector.”
–Michael R. Gordon, “U.S. to Reimpose Sanctions Targeting Iranian Economy,” The Wall Street Journal, August 6, 2018 4:58 pm