awks on Capitol Hill are preparing to go head-to-head with European countries that intend to continue business with Iran in the wake of President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimpose all related U.S. sanctions.
Several congressional offices are mulling an external memo, obtained by THE WEEKLY STANDARD, which recommends seven steps for deterring potential European attempts to evade U.S. sanctions. Trump’s National Security Adviser John Bolton said Tuesday that the freshly reimposed sanctions will come into effect “immediately.” Entities looking to do new business with Iran in “prescribed areas” will face sanctions, while companies with existing business will have 90 or 180 days to “wind down” their activities.
The memo circulating on the Hill, drafted by senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Richard Goldberg, suggests that U.S. policymakers send a strong signal to Europe regarding any potential tariff-based response to U.S. sanctions.