Trump Administration to Increase Iran Sanctions, US Envoy Says

The Trump administration will increase sanctions on Iran, on issues including weapons of mass destruction and human rights, before the end of its term, a US official said. US Special Envoy for Iran Elliott Abrams also called on President-elect Joe Biden to use the increased sanctions to pressure Iran for a better nuclear deal once he takes office on Jan. 20. Biden has said he will rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), negotiated by the Obama administration while Biden served as vice president, that President Donald Trump pulled out of in 2018. Abrams discussed the new sanctions on Wednesday at an online event sponsored by the Beirut Institute think tank. “We think the Biden administration has a great opportunity because there is so much leverage on Iran through the sanctions,” Abrams said, Reuters reported. Abrams said he thought the negotiations to reenter the agreement would take “many months.” Iran has repeatedly violated the nuclear deal since the United States withdrew, including using advanced centrifuges and stockpiling more enriched uranium than allowed under the agreement.