Trump's Executive Orders Against Iran 'Are Being Drafted to Be Signed on Day One'

According to the Financial Times, the new Donald Trump administration is seeking to quickly reinstate the 'maximum pressure' policy against Iran, with executive orders being drafted and prepared to be signed on his first day in office. The Financial Times published this news on Saturday, November 17, citing sources familiar with Trump's transition team. According to the report, one of the executive orders that Mr. Trump will sign on January 20, his first day in the White House, pertains to Iranian oil exports. The newspaper, quoting sources familiar with the new U.S. administration's transition team, stated that the maximum pressure campaign is a way to 'bankrupt' Iran and eliminate its ability to finance proxy forces, but the ultimate goal is to force Tehran to negotiate a new nuclear agreement and change its regional policies. Did Iran send 'signals' to Trump? Donald Trump officially announced the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA in May 2018 during his previous presidency and subsequently implemented the maximum pressure policy against Iran. In response to this action, Iranian officials increased nuclear activities in several phases, raising the uranium enrichment purity level to 60 percent, close to the level required for nuclear weapons production. The Financial Times noted that although the sanctions imposed during Trump's presidency remained in place during Joe Biden's term, they were not strictly enforced in order to revive the nuclear agreement (JCPOA) and reduce the crisis. The White House and Trump's office have yet to respond to this report. According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Iran's crude oil exports, which fell to 400,000 barrels per day in 2020, have more than tripled over the past four years and now exceed 1.5 million barrels per day. The Financial Times quoted an oil executive stating that the Trump administration could revert Iran's oil exports to just a few hundred thousand barrels per day. Among the figures introduced by Donald Trump for his new cabinet are staunch opponents and critics of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including Marco Rubio as the proposed Secretary of State and Mike Waltz as the White House National Security Advisor. However, in recent days, reports have emerged about a secret meeting between Elon Musk, a senior advisor to Donald Trump, and Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, which Tehran has denied. Iran has not yet responded to the Financial Times report. Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator close to Donald Trump, told Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel should 'do whatever it deems necessary' regarding Iran's nuclear facilities. Mr. Graham's spokesperson told Axios that he expressed this position on Saturday, November 17, during a visit to Jerusalem in a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister. This position was stated to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. According to Axios, Senator Graham has been 'very influential' in shaping the policies of President-elect Trump in the Middle East in recent years. Israeli officials told Axios that their Prime Minister is seeking Donald Trump's support for taking tougher steps against Iran, including the consideration of military options. According to the report, Ron Dermer, Israel's Minister of Strategic Affairs, who met with Trump for two hours last week at his Florida residence, expressed this position. After his meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, Senator Graham told Axios that he has 'never been more concerned' about the progress of Iran's nuclear program than now. He added: 'It is in America's interest to ensure that the Iranian regime does not have nuclear weapons, and this is a 'critical and dangerous moment for our friends in Israel and around the world.' Israeli media Channel 7 quoted Senator Graham's statement at the end of his meeting with Netanyahu and another meeting with Israel Katz, the Minister of Defense, stating that he said: 'An Iranian ayatollah equipped with nuclear weapons is a vital threat to Israel and a nightmare for the world,' and the U.S. 'must clearly show its support for Israel against the threats from Iran.' Two weeks before the U.S. elections, Senator Graham also said he 'expects' Israel to 'soon' attack Iran's nuclear facilities. He expressed support for Israel against direct missile attacks from the Islamic Republic of Iran on Israel on October 1, stating that 'the free world has reached a moment of choice regarding Iran; a country whose ayatollahs and their religious Nazi regime seek the destruction of Israel and want to attack America as well.' In recent months, Senator Graham has criticized the Biden administration's positions on limiting Israel in its war against Tehran's proxy groups in the region and has referred to the conditionality of sending certain U.S. weapons to Israel as a 'reward' for the extremist group Hamas.