PARIS, Nov 10, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – US National Security Advisor John Bolton
said Friday that more sanctions were possible on Iran just days after a new
round of measures touted as the most punishing ever on Tehran entered into
force.
Bolton said two rounds of unilateral US sanctions introduced by President
Donald Trump in August and most recently on Monday had had a “quite
significant” effect on the Iranian economy and the country’s actions abroad.
“I think that you’re going to see even more sanctions coming into play
over time and much tighter enforcement of the sanctions,” Bolton told
reporters in Paris.
Asked what would be the target of the sanctions, he replied, “There are
other things we can do in the terrorism and counterterrorism area.”
The International Monetary Fund forecasts that the sanctions will cause
Iran’s economy to contract 1.5 percent this year and 3.6 percent next year —
pain that Trump has boasted about.
“We’ve seen indications that it has affected their belligerent activity in
Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Not enough yet, but it’s beginning to have that
effect,” Bolton said.
“We’ve seen a continuation and exacerbation of political discontent inside
Iran. That opposition continues to manifest itself. Economically the Iranian
currency is going through the floor, inflation has quadrupled and the country
is clearly in recession.”
He said “the objective is still to drive Iranians exports of oil to zero”
despite waivers given to the biggest buyers of Iranian oil, including China,
India and South Korea.
“It’s with some satisfaction that I noticed today the price of oil is
down. We have worked with the Saudis, the Emiratis, and other producers to
make sure production is up so that historic buyers of Iranian oil are not
disadvantaged,” he added.