Bolton: The Goal of Sanctions Against Iran is Not to Harm America's Allies

National Security Advisor Donald Trump states that Washington's goal with the oil sanctions against Iran is 'maximum pressure' against the Islamic Republic, not to harm America's allies. The Trump administration, which withdrew from the nuclear agreement with Iran known as the 'JCPOA' and accused Tehran of trying to create instability in the region and the world, reinstated the first round of sanctions against Iran last spring. The second round is set to be reimposed on November 5. The second round of sanctions includes oil sanctions, and as Washington emphasizes, the aim is to 'reduce Iran's oil exports to zero.' However, in recent months, several of America's allies and countries closely related to Washington, including Japan and South Korea, have requested flexibility or exemptions, although it seems they have stopped purchasing Iranian oil. Two days ago, South Korea called for 'maximum flexibility' from the U.S. in enforcing Iran sanctions. However, India continues to import Iranian oil and currently does not seem to be fully stopping its purchases. China and Turkey have also stated that they do not intend to stop buying Iranian oil. John Bolton, Trump's National Security Advisor, speaking at an Irish student community event on November 1, stated: 'We want to achieve maximum pressure [against Tehran], but we do not want to harm our friends and allies.' Mr. Bolton said the U.S. government understands that some countries, including those geographically close to Iran, which he visited last week, 'may not be able to go all the way and [reduce oil imports from Iran] to zero.' Nevertheless, this senior Trump administration official emphasized that the consequences of Washington's policies are already evident, and the value of the Iranian rial has significantly dropped: 'In my opinion, it is important that we do not lessen our efforts.' The U.S. President in May had noted to the State, Energy, and Treasury Departments that global oil production is sufficient to replace the 'significant reduction' in oil purchases from Iran's customers. Trump stated that the U.S. Energy Information Administration's statistics for April, along with other factors such as global economic conditions, increased oil production from certain countries, available spare capacity for increasing global oil production, and ultimately strategic oil reserves, indicate the ability of other countries to compensate for the significant drop in Iranian oil exports. However, Iranian officials have a different assessment of efforts to cut Iran's oil sales. Hassan Rouhani, the Islamic Republic's President, stated in October that sanctions on Iranian oil are 'not only impractical but will also be very dangerous, and I hope we can continue trade with friendly countries within the framework of international regulations.' Eshaq Jahangiri, his first deputy, also recently stated that with the planning and 'mechanisms' anticipated in Rouhani's government, the U.S. 'will not be able to stop Iran's oil sales and reduce them to zero.' According to U.S. laws, Washington can impose sanctions on financial institutions and foreign countries if imports of oil from Iran do not significantly decrease. During Barack Obama's administration, based on sanctions imposed in 2012, customers were asked to reduce imports from Iran by 18 to 20 percent over six-month periods.