Bolton on the Iranian Government: We Will Pressure Them Until They Are Squeezed Dry

A week after the re-imposition of heavy economic sanctions against Iran, John Bolton, the U.S. National Security Advisor, stated on Tuesday, November 13, that the U.S. will increase pressure on the Islamic Republic "until they are squeezed dry." According to AFP, Bolton, speaking ahead of a conference in Singapore, referred to the Islamic Republic's government, saying, "We believe the [Islamic Republic] government is under real pressure, and our intention is to increase that pressure significantly." He continued, "Or as the English say, we will increase the pressure until the kernel pops out of the skin," which is comparable to the Persian expression "squeezing the juice" from a person or government. This saying became popular when a British conservative politician used it in a speech about obtaining reparations from defeated Germany at the end of World War I in 1918. John Bolton further stated, "We also intend to significantly increase the rigor in enforcing sanctions." This emphasis on "significantly increasing" the enforcement of sanctions against Iran came just a day after Sigal Mandelker, the U.S. Treasury Deputy Secretary, mentioned in a press conference in London that "Washington will meticulously and rigorously enforce all sanctions against Iran," stating, "You will see more actions from us regarding Iran." Bolton also mentioned during his trip to Paris that new sanctions against Iran would be finalized and announced in the coming days, explaining that these sanctions would be applied in the areas of "terrorism and counter-terrorism." He told reporters, "I think you will gradually see even more sanctions with more precise enforcement." Donald Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran, known as the JCPOA, in May of this year and ordered the re-imposition of all sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. These sanctions were implemented in two phases. While U.S. officials emphasize that their goal is to pressure the Iranian government to change its behavior and regional policies, Iranian officials claim that these sanctions do not affect the Islamic Republic's government and that the burden falls on the Iranian people. In this context, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reiterated on Saturday that he believes the U.S. government is not seeking to pressure the "system and government," but rather to pressure the Iranian people. He stated in remarks broadcast by state television after a meeting with the heads of the other two branches of government that these sanctions "have had no impact on the country's economic process." This comes as sanctions have led to the devaluation of Iran's national currency and the bankruptcy of many industries in Iran, with people even struggling to find baby diapers for a short period. Rouhani's statements regarding the sanctions having "no impact on the country's economic process" are made while his first vice president, Eshaq Jahangiri, said last week, "I cannot lie and say that sanctions have no effect; sanctions do have an effect, but we must minimize that effect." Jahangiri also noted, "However, it should be considered that the government should not disclose all concerning issues to the public, but rather keep some of the concerns within the system and implement appropriate measures for them."