Trump re-imposes maximum pressure policy on Iran, exits UNRWA

US President Donald Trump has signed an order aimed at increasing economic pressure on Iran, fulfilling the promise of his predecessor in the White House to reverse the sanctions regime.

The order will ask Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to use sanctions and stricter enforcement of existing measures to increase pressure on Tehran.

During his first term, Trump implemented a policy of “maximum pressure on Iran,” which aimed to impose US restrictions on the country’s nuclear program and isolate Tehran economically.

Announcing the new steps in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump described them as tough on Tehran and expressed the hope that the US would not have to resort to all available measures.

“I hope we don’t have to use it too much,” Trump said, adding that he would try to “make a deal with Iran.”

“Maybe this is possible. Maybe it’s not possible,” Trump said.

The White House is seeking to cut Iran’s oil exports, but it is unclear exactly how the US intends to achieve this goal or whether it is even possible. The action also confirms the administration’s plans to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Trump has asserted that the US has the right to block Iranian oil and warned that Tehran is getting closer to developing its own nuclear weapons capability.

Trump criticized former President Joe Biden, claiming that during his tenure, Iran defied sanctions and allowed oil exports to return to near full capacity.

According to Bloomberg’s tanker tracking data and estimates of commercial and official organizations, the last four years, with sanctions piercing and the US’s looser sanctions policy, has allowed Iran to increase its oil exports by about 1 million barrels a day, with most of the supply going to China.

Cutting off Iran’s oil revenue could further damage the already struggling country’s finances.

On the other hand, Biden had intensified sanctions against Tehran during his presidency due to its support for groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah and its relations with Russia. Biden had also expanded US sanctions on Iran’s oil and gas sectors following the ballistic missile attack on Israel.

After his re-election in 2024, Trump said he was open to a deal with Iran, provided it did not pursue nuclear weapons. “We don’t want to hurt Iran,” Trump said, warning that “they cannot have nuclear weapons.”

Reformist Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has prioritized sanctions relief and rapprochement with the West to stabilize the country’s economy.

On Tuesday, Trump also signed actions withdrawing the US from refugee and human rights initiatives run by the United Nations and initiating a broader review of funding for the international organization as well as its science, education, and culture arm.

Trump signed a presidential decree withdrawing his country from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the UN Human Rights Council. Trump stated that the US is no longer part of this agency, which was established to help Palestinians.