Iran News Round Up

The U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) reimplemented the first-round of sanctions lifted under the nuclear deal on August 7 following U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order on August 6. The reimposed sanctions prohibit Iran from acquiring U.S. bank notes, and sanction Iran’s trade in precious metals, industrial materials, and transactions related to the Iranian rial, among other financial restrictions. OFAC will reimpose the second-round of sanctions lifted under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) affecting the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) and Iranian energy exports after the end of the second wind-down period on November 5. (WhiteHouse.gov) (E) (WhiteHouse.gov) (E) (Treasury.gov) (E)

• EU revises blocking statute to extend to reimposed U.S. sanctions against Iran. The EU European Commission amended the EU blocking statute to extend to the newly-reimposed U.S. sanctions against Iran on August 7. The blocking statute prohibits European companies from complying with select-U.S. sanctions against Iran. The blocking stature also allows the EU to not recognize any court rulings that enforce U.S. sanctions. (Europa.eu) (E)
  
  
• German automotive companies suspend operations in Iran. German carmaker Daimler AG and automotive supplier Duerr AG separately announced that they halted their business operations in Iran in response to the reimposition of U.S. sanctions against Iran. Daimler and Duerr’s announcements came on August 7 and August 11 respectively. (Reuters) (E) (Reuters) (E)

President Hassan Rouhani derided U.S. President Donald Trump’s July 30 offer to hold negotiations with Rouhani during a televised interview on August 6. Rouhani criticized Trump’s offer and noted that “having negotiations while imposing sanctions is meaningless.” Rouhani announced that negotiations will continue with European countries over the coming months and that Iran will meet with Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)-member states in August as well as during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on September 18. (President.ir) (President.ir)

• Presidential Political Deputy and former nuclear negotiator Majid Takht Ravanchi stated during an interview with Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) on August 8 that “currently we cannot say with certainty that negotiations with Europe through early November will reach a [conclusion].” Takht Ravanchi also noted that Iranians should not wait for a meeting between Rouhani and Trump and expressed doubt that the two will meet during the September 18 UN General Assembly meeting in New York City, New York. (ISNA)

One hundred twenty-nine parliamentarians voted to successfully impeach Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare Minister Ali Rabiei over grievances related to poor economic conditions. Parliamentarians raised issues over high-levels of youth unemployment, the social security system, and unfinished-state projects. Rouhani appointed Deputy Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare Minister Anoushirvan Mohseni Bandpei to serve as interim minister on August 11 following Rabiei’s impeachment. Bandpei also previously served as a reformist parliamentarian. Hardline Parliament Leadership Board member Akbar Ranjbar Zadeh stated that weak cabinet members should not remain in the government following Rabiei’s impeachment. (IRIB News) (Fars News Agency) (President.ir)

Central Bank of Iran (CBI) head Abdol Nasser Hemmati announced several new economic policies aimed at easing Iranians’ economic hardships in a televised interview on August 6. Hemmati said that the regime had lifted restrictions limiting the amount of foreign currency and gold that could be imported and ended a ban on currency trading. Hemmati also announced that medicine, food, and other essential goods would be held to the government’s official exchange rate. The Iranian rial experienced a mild increase in value following the new CBI’s new policies, one-day before the U.S. reimposed financial and currency-related sanctions against Iran on August 7. (New York Times) (E) (Mehr News Agency)