STRONGEST SANCTIONS EVER: President Trump says the promised sanctions against Iranian oil exports are now in effect in an attempt to coerce Iran into complying with 12 requirements announced by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in May. “Iran sanctions have gone into effect. They’re the strongest sanctions that our country has ever issued,” Trump said on the White House lawn yesterday. Trump is following through on his pledge to restore sanctions as a consequence of the U.S. withdrawing from 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by six world powers during the Obama administration.

Trump says the ban on exports will further cripple the Iranian economy, which is already in a tailspin. “We’ll see what happens with Iran, but they’re not doing very well, I can tell you. Iran is not going very well,” Trump said. Iran’s currency, the rial, has lost roughly 70 percent of its value.