The USA has re-imposed tough economic sanctions on Iran. The U.S. Secretary of State warned Iran that it would be subject to "relentless" pressure unless it changes its "revolutionary course". The Trump administration reinstated all sanctions that were lifted in 2015 as a result of the Iranian nuclear deal. Most of the sanctions target core parts of Iran's economy. The U.S. Treasury described the new penalties as, "the toughest U.S. sanctions ever imposed on Iran". It added they would, "target critical sectors of Iran's economy, such as the energy, shipping and shipbuilding, and financial sectors". It added: "The USA is engaged in a campaign of maximum financial pressure on the Iranian regime."
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani struck a defiant tone in the face of the renewed sanctions. He told his government: "We will proudly break the sanctions." Rouhani described the administration of President Donald Trump as, "a throwback to the era of Bush junior and a repeat of the same statements as 2003". He said: "The era of such statements has evolved and the Iranian people have heard these statements hundreds of times, and no longer pay attention." The Al Jazeera news agency said the sanctions were a backward step. It wrote: "With one Trump signature, the goodwill that had been built between Iranians and the rest of the world crumbled in a matter of months."
