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What is the U.S. Position on Iran?

 

December 23, 2020

U.S. Policy on Iran Sanctions, Explained

The United States supports the Iranian people’s struggle for human rights, democracy, and freedom.

The regime’s greatest victims are the Iranian people. Regime elites squander the people’s resources and opportunities, while suppressing freedom and basic human rights.

Iran’s Islamic regime also is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism.

To counter the regime’s destabilizing and malign behavior both at home and abroad, the United States is pursuing a maximum pressure campaign to deprive the regime of the resources it needs to brutalize its own people and fuel terrorism abroad.

REPORT: Outlaw Regime: A Chronicle of Iran’s Destructive Activities [PDF]

The future of Iran belongs to its people. They are the rightful heirs to a rich culture and an ancient land. And they deserve a nation that does justice to their dreams, honor to their history, and glory to God.
President Donald J. Trump
May 8, 2018

 

Maximum Pressure Campaign

 

The Islamic regime in Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terror. For over 40 years their malign behavior and support for terrorist proxies has spread across the region. The implementation of the JCPOA, informally known as the “2015 Iran Nuclear Deal,” placed even more resources and money at the regime’s disposal, furthering the reach and aggression of their malign activities. This is why the United States left the JCPOA and implemented decisive sanctions to curb the regime’s ability to fund terror. On August 20, 2020, the United States initiated the snapback procedure in UN Security Council resolution 2231 to return virtually all of the previous UN sanctions on Iran, including the UN arms embargo and restrictions on Iran enriching and processing nuclear material. Starting on September 20, 2020, Iran is also prohibited by the UN from testing and developing ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

The international community must stand together against the Iranian regime’s support for terror.

 

May 8, 2019

Iran Maximum Pressure Campaign

 

September 21, 2020
The United States Imposes Sweeping New Sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran

Under the leadership of President Trump, the Departments of State, Treasury, and Commerce took significant action to counter Iranian nuclear threats as well as missile and conventional arms proliferation. Read More

 

May 13, 2020
We’re Ready to ‘Snap Back’ Sanctions

Iranian provocations accelerated under the nuclear deal. Emboldened by repeated diplomatic wins and flush with cash, the Iranian regime increased its ballistic-missile testing and missile proliferation to terrorist proxies. Read More

 

December 19, 2019
Human Rights and the Iranian Regime

The regime has killed hundreds and hundreds of protesters since mid-November, possibly more than 1,000. The regime cut off the internet, a basic communication tool, to try and stop the world to see the horrors that were taking place inside of their country. Read More

 

 

A Generation’s Struggle for Democracy

Persia, 1908: Constitution/Majlis
Iran, 1979: Movement Hijacked by Religious Fundamentalists
Islamic Republic, 1999: Student Protests
Islamic Republic, 2009: Green Movement
Islamic Republic, 2019: Protests of 2019

The Iranian people will enjoy a better future when their government begins to respect basic human rights, abandons its revolutionary posture and destabilizing foreign policy, and behaves simply like a normal nation.

Michael R. PompeoSecretary of State

For over a century, the Iranian people have struggled toward democracy. During the last 40 years, however, after the ousting of the Shah, the Iranian people have been subjugated by an oppressive theocracy called the “Islamic Republic,” with a religious “Supreme Leader” overseeing all aspects of Iranian life.

Iran’s Islamic government is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism and has spent billions of dollars bankrolling terrorist proxies while neglecting the needs of Iranian citizens at home. In addition, the Islamic regime has rolled back human rights and routinely discriminates against and brutalizes women, children, members of the LGBTQ community, religious minorities, and ethnic minorities.

The people of Iran are vastly pro-Western and openly long for freedom and democracy but are met with brutal and violent suppression any time they rise up and demand their basic human rights, whether in the 1999 student protests, the 2009 Green Movement, or the most recent protests of 2019.

 


 

 

Speeches and Press Briefings

 

September 21, 2020

Interagency Press Availability on Iran Snapback Sanctions

Transcript

June 30, 2020

Secretary Pompeo at the UN Security Council on the Iran Arms Embargo

Transcript

January 13, 2020

The Restoration of Deterrence:
The Iranian Example

Transcript

December 19, 2019

Human Rights and the Iranian Regime

Transcript

September 25, 2019

Iranian Aggression: The World Awakes

Transcript

July 22, 2018

Supporting Iranian Voices

Transcript

May 21, 2018

After the Deal: A New Iran Strategy

Transcript

U.S. Department of State

The Lessons of 1989: Freedom and Our Future