The U.S. will grant waivers “on a case-by-case basis” so countries can buy Iranian oil after American sanctions are reimposed, a State Department official said, softening the Trump administration’s stance as it seeks to isolate the Islamic Republic after quitting the Iran nuclear deal.
Brian Hook, the State Department’s director of policy planning, said three times at a briefing Monday that the U.S. isn’t “looking” to make any exceptions for countries that import Iranian oil after the Nov. 4 date the U.S. has set for when sanctions will snap back into place. But he suggested countries that are reducing oil imports from Iran could get relief.
“Our goal is to increase pressure on the Iranian regime by reducing to zero its revenue from crude oil sales,” said Hook, who has led Trump administration discussions with European allies on the sanctions. “We are prepared to work with countries that are reducing their imports on a case-by-case basis, but as with our other sanctions we are not looking to grant waivers or licenses.”
The drive to slash Iranian oil exports is part of the administration’s strategy as it follows through on President Donald Trump’s decision in May to back out of the 2015 nuclear accord, a move criticized by allies from Asia to Europe. Hook appeared to strike a more lenient tone than a another senior State Department official who emphasized to U.S. reporters last week that the U.S. wasn’t predisposed to grant any waivers.