By Guido Lanfranchi
During a trip to India and Europe, the Special Representative for Iran: Brian Hook, is trying to gain international support to the U.S. pressure campaign on Iran. Upcoming U.S. extraterritorial sanctions on Iran’s energy and financial sectors are at the center of the discussions.
There are less than three weeks left before November 5th, the date in which the second batch of U.S. sanctions on Iran are set to take effect, and the State Department is stepping up efforts to convince its international partners to abide by these sanctions. U.S. Special Representative for Iran, Mr. Brian Hook, is currently engaged in an international trip that is bringing him to New Delhi, Luxembourg, Paris, and Brussels, where he is set to discuss with his partners about “U.S. policy aimed at reducing Iran’s malign activities.”
U.S. President Donald J. Trump has been a long time critic of the Iran Nuclear Deal, and in May 2018 he has officially declared the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action .
Reiterating some of the President’s arguments, during his stop in Luxembourg Sr. Hook too criticized the agreement, arguing that Iran “used the deal as a strategic cover to expand its operations throughout the Middle East.”
The $100 billion in sanctions relief arising from the deal – Mr. Hook claimed – were used by Iran to increase its regional malign activities, including the financing of terrorist proxy groups, the development of missile capabilities, and the execution of cyber-attacks. Such activities, according to the U.S. Special Representative, were not only against the spirit of the JCPOA, but also in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, such as in the case of ballistic missiles.
Mr. Hook explained that the rationale behind the imposition of U.S. sanctions on Iran is to “cut-off the funding streams” that the Iranian government uses to fund such activities. The sanctions coming in on November 5th, which will target Iran’s energy and financial sectors and will have extraterritorial nature, will be “the toughest ever imposed” – Mr. Hook claimed – and have already been yielding some results: Iran’s oil exports have declined, and more than 100 companies have announced or implemented their decision to pull out of Iran.
The U.S. State Department and Treasury have been leading an international pressure campaign, in which U.S. officials traveled to more than two dozen countries to discourage U.S. partners from engaging with and in Iran. The combination of Iran’s “very dark economy” and the threat of U.S. secondary sanctions – Mr. Hook explained – is now very likely to drive global corporation away from Iran, a move that companies such as Total, Daimler, and Peugeot have already done.
Concerning U.S. sanctions on Iran’s oil exports, the U.S. goal remains “getting countries importing oil from Iran to zero as quickly as possible.” On this note, Mr. Hook noted that the global oil market is currently “well-supplied and balanced,” assuring that both the U.S. and its oil-producing partners will spare no efforts to ensure market stability.
Moreover, concerning some countries’ desire to enjoy a sanctions relief, Mr. Hook highlighted that the U.S. stands ready to have conversations with its partners on a case-by-case basis, in order to balance the interests of the U.S. and the needs of its allies.
As for the clashes between U.S. and European positions on the Iran Nuclear Deal, Mr. Hook downplayed the divergence, stressing instead that both parties see eye to eye on key areas, such as on Iran’s malign activities and long-term threats.
While praising the positive contacts between the U.S. and several European nations, Mr. Hook joined U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in criticizing European efforts to by-pass U.S. secondary sanctions, for instance through the establishment of the Special Purpose Vehicle. However, he declined to comment on European-Iranian bilateral relations, as well as on the disputes around the Swift financial transaction system.
On the issue of humanitarian aid, Mr. Hook also stressed that “it has never been and it’s not now U.S. policy to target humanitarian trade,” and that exceptions to the sanctions regime have been studies accordingly. However, as the Iranian government “takes advantage of humanitarian relief to fund malign activities,” it is not easy for the U.S. to make sure not to benefit the “Iranian regime” while trying to support the “Iranian people.”
Special Representative Hook made clear that the U.S. administration, in close collaboration with Congress, stands ready to engage with Iran, in order to resolve not only the issue of nuclear proliferation, but also a wider array of matters. “If the Iranian regime demonstrates a commitment to seriously change its behavior, the [U.S.] President is prepared to engage in diplomatic dialogue to find solutions.”
