President Trump imposed sanctions against Iran on Friday in retaliation for the country’s decision to test a ballistic missile over the weekend in violation of a United Nations resolution.
The sanctions apply to 13 people and 12 companies in Iran, according to the Treasury Department, which unveiled the measures Friday morning.
Senior administration officials said the sanctions were a result of “careful consideration” after repeated incidents of support for terrorism and weapons testing. The National Security Council debated how to implement the measures and “sought approval from the president,” officials said.
“Iran’s continued ballistic missile development and support for terrorism are very provocative,” a senior administration official said.
Officials stressed that Iran had not violated the terms of a nuclear agreement reached during the Obama administration, and noted that the sanctions were instead in response to a violation of a United Nations resolution. That resolution specifies that Iran cannot deploy missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
None of the people or companies sanctioned on Friday had previously faced sanctions during negotiations over the nuclear deal, administration officials said.
Iran’s missile launch on Jan. 29 provided Trump with the first real test of his foreign policy toughness. Lawmakers quickly began pressuring Trump to renew sanctions against Iran, and Israel signaled its intention to ask Trump to do the same.
A bipartisan group of 20 senators sent Trump a letter on Thursday calling on the administration to crack down on what appeared to be a blatant violation of a United Nations resolution that was designed to prevent Iran from dabbling in ballistic missiles.
“Full enforcement of existing sanctions and the imposition of additional sanctions on Iran for its ballistic missile program are necessary,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter to Trump. “Moreover, we are hopeful that the international community can unite around the common cause of countering Iran’s troubling actions.”
The administration had called an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Monday, providing newly confirmed U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley her first opportunity to represent the U.S. in the international body.
Trump national security adviser Mike Flynn announced the White House’s intention to put Iran “on notice” Wednesday for its aggressive activity, and the president echoed his warning one day later in a social media shot at Tehran. But the White House initially stayed quiet on how exactly it planned to respond.
Trump told reporters on Thursday that “nothing is off the table” when it comes to Iran — including, he suggested, military action. In addition to angst over the ballistic missile test, U.S. officials have also complained about a Houthi militia attack on a Saudi Arabian vessel off the coast of Yemen. Saudi Arabia is a U.S. ally, and Houthi militants in Yemen are backed by Tehran.
Senior administration officials cited Houthi hostility toward Saudi ships, as well as vessels from the United Arab Emirates, as one reason why the White House decided to move forward with sanctions.
Officials said Iran has exerted “heavy influence” over the Houthis and should “bear responsibility” for the actions of “proxies” across the region.
