IRAN/NUCLEAR/OIL/SANCTIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s top security adviser on Monday [8-6-18] urged Iran to take up an offer of talks with the United States or suffer more pain from economic sanctions, but Iran’s president said Washington needed first to prove it can be trusted. Hours before revived U.S. sanctions were due to kick in, White House national security adviser John Bolton said Iran should pay heed to Trump’s willingness to negotiate…So-called snapback sanctions, due to come into force early on Tuesday [8-7-18], target Iranian purchases of U.S. dollars, metals trading, coal, industrial software and its auto sector. Foes for decades, the United States and Iran have been increasingly at odds over Iran’s growing political and military influence in the Middle East since Trump took office in January 2017. The renewed sanctions were among those lifted under a 2015 deal between world powers and Tehran on curbing Iran’s nuclear program. Trump abandoned the deal in May. Heavier U.S. sanctions, aimed at Iran’s oil sector, are due in November.”
-Lesley Wroughton, Parisa Hafezi, “Renewed U.S. sanctions target Iran’s economy, Tehran cool on talks,” Reuters, August 6, 2018 8:20 am