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New U.S. Sanctions Bite Iran as Its President Says No Meeting With Trump White House Bars Iranian Officials From U.S. as Its Diplomatic Efforts Falter
(about 5 hours later)
UNITED NATIONS — The United States announced new economic penalties against Iran’s largest oil customer on Wednesday, further squeezing the country as its president told the United Nations he would not negotiate with an “enemy who uses sanction and poverty as a tool.” UNITED NATIONS — The Trump administration barred senior Iranian government officials from entering the United States on Wednesday, just hours after a failed attempt to renew diplomacy with President Hassan Rouhani as he attended an annual gathering of world leaders in New York.
The actions and statements by both countries appeared to rule out what would be a historic meeting between President Trump and President Hassan Rouhani of Iran at the United Nations, where both leaders were attending the General Assembly. The order followed a new round of American economic penalties against Iran’s largest oil customer to further squeeze the country’s crumbling economy and force Tehran into new negotiations to limit its nuclear and military programs.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the additional American sanctions would punish “certain Chinese entities for knowingly transporting oil from Iran” in defiance of American financial restrictions imposed earlier this year. Mr. Pompeo also said that economic punishments would be imposed against executives of Chinese companies importing Iran’s oil. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States was still open to talking to Iran, and hoped to tamp down inflamed tensions after leaders in the United States, Europe and Arab nations blamed Tehran for attacks on oil fields in Saudi Arabia this month.
China has been the biggest foreign buyer of Iran’s oil, a crucial Iranian export. Last year, roughly 6 percent of China’s oil imports came from Iran. “We want peace and we want a peaceful resolution,” Mr. Pompeo said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon with President Trump. “In the end, it will be up to the Iranians to make that decision whether they choose violence and hate.”
But in the last two months, Chinese state-owned companies have begun importing more oil from Saudi Arabia under tightening pressure from the Trump administration to choke Iran’s economy and force Tehran into new negotiations to limit its nuclear and military programs. The White House announced the new travel restrictions on senior Iranian government officials and their family members shortly after the news conference ended. In a statement, it described the Iranian government as a state sponsor of terrorism that threatened the stability of the Middle East and beyond.
Mr. Pompeo’s comments came at a meeting near the United Nations headquarters in New York, where diplomats were scrambling to set up a meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Rouhani. It was an extraordinary declaration, given its timing: Mr. Rouhani and more than 80 of his top diplomats and aides were in New York attending the annual United Nations General Assembly. However, the travel ban was not expected to force them to leave; the United States generally issues visas to allow foreign leaders to come to United Nations headquarters, but tightly restricts their movements while in New York.
Both sides have previously appeared willing to talk, but Iran has insisted that the United States must first ease its sanctions which Mr. Pompeo made clear again on Wednesday would not happen. A similar travel ban was issued against members of President Nicolás Maduro’s government in Venezuela, which the Trump administration is trying to oust.
Mr. Rouhani rejected any meeting if the sanctions were not eased. In his speech at the General Assembly on Wednesday, Mr. Rouhani devoted considerable time to berating the Trump administration for inviting him to talk while threatening Iran. In a morning speech to the General Assembly, Mr. Rouhani appeared to shut down any attempt at détente with what he described as an “enemy who uses sanction and poverty as a tool.” He also devoted considerable time to berating the Trump administration for inviting him to talk while threatening Iran.
The Iranian response was “no, not under sanctions,” Mr. Rouhani said. “We will never meet with an enemy that uses sanction and poverty as a tool.” “If you want a ‘yes’ response, then the only road to negotiations is returning to your commitments,” Mr. Rouhani said, referring to Mr. Trump’s repudiation of a 2015 nuclear accord that eased international sanctions in return for limiting Iran’s nuclear activities. “A photo opportunity is the last stop, not the first stop.”
Referring to Mr. Trump’s repudiation of the 2015 nuclear accord that eased sanctions in return for curbs on Iran’s nuclear activities, Mr. Rouhani said: “If you want a ‘yes’ response then the only road to negotiations is returning to your commitments.” The new economic sanctions were announced by Mr. Pompeo at a conference sponsored by United Against Nuclear Iran, an advocacy group that Tehran this week said it was considering declaring a terrorist organization.
“A photo opportunity is the last stop, not the first stop,” he said of meeting Mr. Trump. Mr. Pompeo said the sanctions would punish certain Chinese entities and business executives for defying American financial restrictions that aim to stop Iran from exporting oil.
Mr. Pompeo announced the sanctions during a speech at a conference sponsored by United Against Nuclear Iran an advocacy group that Tehran this week declared a terrorist organization. He appeared to taunt Iran’s “panicked aggression” in the wake of the American pressure campaign that has weakened its economy. China has been the biggest foreign buyer of Iran’s oil, a crucial Iranian export. Last year, roughly 6 percent of China’s oil imports came from Iran. But in the past two months, Chinese state-owned companies have begun importing more oil from Saudi Arabia under tightening pressure from the Trump administration.
He said Iran’s leaders respond to “strength and not to supplication” and drew titters from the audience when he noted that Mr. Rouhani had claimed of working to bring peace to the Middle East. A New York Times investigation found that at least six Iranian tankers unloaded at Chinese ports during a two-month period after the United States on May 2 ended purchase waivers for Iranian oil granted to China and seven other governments.
“They’re calling every play in their playbook to goad us into conflict, to create division among nations, and extort them into action,” Mr. Pompeo said. “And you should know their playbook won’t succeed.” In July, the State Department announced its first set of Iran-related sanctions against a Chinese oil company. But the United States has avoided sanctioning Chinese banks or Sinopec, a much larger state-owned company that is also a big importer of Iranian oil. Sanctions on those institutions would have far-reaching effects in global finance and business.
Ali Rabiei, a spokesman for Mr. Rouhani, described an overnight flurry of messages between Iranian and European officials about a possible meeting on Wednesday with Mr. Trump at the United Nations. Some analysts believe the oil sanctions and other penalties imposed by the Trump administration are what set Tehran on its current course of confrontation with the United States and its partners in the Persian Gulf region.
However, Mr. Rabiei told Iranian media, such a meeting would only happen if it included leaders and diplomats from other world powers, and if the United States appeared willing to return to the nuclear accord. The administration’s so-called maximum pressure campaign “has not only failed to secure a better deal with Iran on its nuclear activities and problematic Iranian regional behavior, but actually created problems that did not previously exist,” said Andrew Miller, a former State Department official who is deputy director for policy at the Project on Middle East Democracy.
Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, predicted it would be difficult to save the nuclear deal. But, she said, Iran could easily return to compliance including by stopping its uranium enrichment. European officials, led by President Emmanuel Macron of France, had for weeks sought to broker talks between the United States and Iran on the sidelines of the General Assembly.
“We all welcome the efforts being made to open the channel of dialogue,” Ms. Mogherini said Wednesday of the possibility of talks between the United States and Iran. Her comments followed a meeting of the nations still party to the nuclear accord — Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran and Russia — where she said all committed to try to preserve it. Diplomats from the nations still party to the 2015 nuclear accord — Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran and Russia — all committed during a Wednesday morning meeting to try to preserve it, said Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign policy chief.
Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, described it as “a good meeting” but declined further comment. “We all welcome the efforts being made to open the channel of dialogue,” said Ms. Mogherini. She predicted it would be difficult to save the nuclear deal but said Iran could easily return to compliance.
In Iran, hard-line members of the hierarchy who are especially suspicious of the Americans welcomed Mr. Rouhani’s rejection of Mr. Trump’s invitation. Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, described it as “a good meeting” but declined to comment further.
“If such a thing happens Messrs Rouhani and Zarif must know they will pay a very high price,” said Javad Karimi Ghodoosi, a member of Parliament. The diplomatic breakdown followed an overnight flurry of messages between Iranian and European officials about a possible meeting on Wednesday between Mr. Rouhani and Mr. Trump.
President Emmanuel Macron of France has for weeks sought to broker talks between the United States and Iran on the sidelines of the General Assembly meetings, and met with Mr. Trump on Wednesday. In a statement, the White House said the two presidents had “discussed ways to address tensions in the Middle East, particularly in responding to Iran’s increasingly belligerent behavior.” Hard-line members of the power hierarchy in Iran who are especially suspicious of the American government applauded Mr. Rouhani’s rejection of talks. “If such a thing happens Messrs Rouhani and Zarif must know they will pay a very high price,” said Javad Karimi Ghodoosi, a member of Parliament.
At the nuclear conference, Mr. Pompeo appeared to taunt Iran, describing its “panicked aggression” in reaction to the American pressure campaign. He also said Iran’s leaders respond to “strength and not to supplication” and drew titters from the audience when he noted that Mr. Rouhani had claimed of working to bring peace to the Middle East.
In his speech, Mr. Pompeo again accused Iran of bombing four oil tankers in the Persian Gulf in May, downing an unmanned American spy drone in June and attacking oil fields in Saudi Arabia this month as evidence of its “long history of unprovoked aggression.”In his speech, Mr. Pompeo again accused Iran of bombing four oil tankers in the Persian Gulf in May, downing an unmanned American spy drone in June and attacking oil fields in Saudi Arabia this month as evidence of its “long history of unprovoked aggression.”
Iran has denied responsibility for the Sept. 14 strikes on the Saudi oil facilities, which Mr. Pompeo has called an “act of war” and which again raised the specter of a new military conflict in the Middle East. Officials in the Gulf also blamed Iran for the attacks but urged caution, and not until this week did diplomats from Britain, France and Germany publicly agree that they considered Tehran responsible for the strikes.Iran has denied responsibility for the Sept. 14 strikes on the Saudi oil facilities, which Mr. Pompeo has called an “act of war” and which again raised the specter of a new military conflict in the Middle East. Officials in the Gulf also blamed Iran for the attacks but urged caution, and not until this week did diplomats from Britain, France and Germany publicly agree that they considered Tehran responsible for the strikes.
“Thank God our European allies, two days ago, returned to our side,” former Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, the chairman of United Against Nuclear Iran, who was the Democratic Party’s vice-presidential nominee in 2000, said on Wednesday as he introduced Mr. Pompeo at the conference. “And together now, hopefully, we will move forward.” Mr. Pompeo said the United States also would intensify warnings to countries and companies against doing business with entities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a branch of Iran’s military. The United States declared the Guards Corps a terrorist organization this year; the broad designation prohibits doing business with as many as 11 million Iranians and affiliated groups.
In July, the State Department announced its first set of Iran-related sanctions against a Chinese oil company, Zhuhai Zhenrong and its chief executive, Li Youmin. The developments at the United Nations unfolded as the fate of a Swedish-owned, British-flagged oil tanker, the Steno Impero, detained in Iran for months, remained unclear two days after the Iranians said the ship was free to leave.
But the United States has avoided sanctioning Chinese banks or Sinopec, a much larger state-owned company that is also a big importer of Iranian oil. Sanctions on those institutions would have far-reaching effects in global finance and business. An Iranian official on Wednesday said that while the detention order on the ship had been lifted, it may not leave Iran because of a pending inquiry into the ship’s conduct.
Mr. Pompeo also said the United States would intensify warnings to countries and companies against doing business with entities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a branch of Iran’s military. The United States declared the Guards Corps a terrorist organization earlier this year; the broad designation prohibits doing business with as many as 11 million Iranians and affiliated groups. The ship has not budged from the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. Its seizure was widely seen as retaliation for the earlier detention of an Iranian vessel, the Grace 1, later renamed the Adrian Darya, in Gibraltar. That vessel was released in August.
The new warnings would work to “disentangle” legitimate business dealings from those with the Guards Corps, Mr. Pompeo said.
“This is the beginning of an awakening to the truth that Iran is the aggressor and not the aggrieved, as they claim,” Mr. Pompeo said.
The developments at the United Nations were unfolding as the fate of a Swedish-owned, British-flagged oil tanker, the Steno Impero, detained in Iran for months, remained unclear two days after the Iranians said the ship was free to leave.
An Iranian official on Wednesday said that while the detention order on the ship had been lifted, it may not leave Iran because of a pending inquiry into the ship’s conduct. The official, Seyed Abbas Mousavi, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, said on Twitter that “the investigation of some of its violations and environmental damage remains open.”
The ship has not budged from the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. Iran detained the Stena Impero on July 19 and accused it of having violated maritime regulations in the Strait of Hormuz, a main passageway for the world’s oil supply. But the seizure was widely seen as retaliation for the earlier detention of an Iranian vessel, the Grace 1, later renamed the Adrian Darya, in Gibraltar. That vessel was released in August.