U.S. Treasury Secretary: Non-Nuclear Sanctions Against Iran Will Increase

Steven Mnuchin, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, has emphasized the importance of sanctions against countries like Iran and North Korea, stating that non-nuclear sanctions against Tehran will be intensified. In an interview with the Financial Times on Tuesday, Mnuchin addressed issues such as tax reform, North Korea, and Iran. He reiterated that sanctions against North Korea will be increased, highlighting their significance as a crucial part of his responsibilities. Mnuchin specified that last week, sanctions were imposed on Iran due to human rights violations, and more non-nuclear sanctions will follow. His reference was to last week's sanctions against the Tehran Provincial Prisons Organization and Sohrab Soleimani, the former head of this organization and brother of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds Force. The U.S. Treasury Department stated that these sanctions were implemented due to the involvement of this organization and its former head in human rights violations in Iran. Nevertheless, Mnuchin emphasized that the U.S. is closely monitoring Iran. In this context, a senior White House official also told Foreign Policy on Monday that the Trump administration is seeking to impose stricter sanctions against Iran. This official clarified that the U.S. government intends to use more effective tools against Iran. He mentioned that these sanctions will include sectors that have economic ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The official also stated that the President and cabinet members have not yet made a definitive decision on this matter, but action should be taken soon. The U.S. Treasury Department had indicated last week that Washington will continue its sanctions against Iran outside the framework of the JCPOA, focusing on human rights violations, ballistic missiles, terrorism, and regional instability. In this regard, the U.S. sanctioned the Tehran Provincial Prisons Organization and Qassem Soleimani's brother, labeling him as an 'international human rights violator.' In response to Iran's missile tests, the U.S. sanctioned 25 individuals and entities. Additionally, 30 individuals and entities were sanctioned for assisting Iran's and North Korea's military programs.