US-Iran crisis: Donald Trump announces 'major' sanctions against Tehran from Monday, says military action still on table

Washington: President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States would impose “major” new sanctions on Iran in two days, just hours after saying he would be the Islamic republic’s new “best friend” if they were to renounce nuclear arms.

Tensions between the United States and Iran have soared this week after Tehran downed a US surveillance drone.

Trump said Friday that he called off retaliatory military strikes at the last minute because the response was not “proportionate.” But he had brandished the threat of sanctions ever since, and has now set a timetable.

“We are putting major additional Sanctions on Iran on Monday,” Trump tweeted, while adding: “I look forward to the day that Sanctions come off Iran, and they become a productive and prosperous nation again - The sooner the better!”

Iran cannot have Nuclear Weapons! Under the terrible Obama plan, they would have been on their way to Nuclear in a short number of years, and existing verification is not acceptable. We are putting major additional Sanctions on Iran on Monday. I look forward to the day that.....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2019

Trump also claimed that military action against Iran was still an option. This came days after he said he had ordered a military strike on Iran but pulled back at the last minute as 150 people would die. “I never called the strike against Iran ‘BACK,’ as people are incorrectly reporting,” Trump said in another tweet. “I just stopped it from going forward at this time!”